Manatee County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bradenton, Palmetto and Holmes Beach
Manatee County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Manatee County is home to Bradenton, Palmetto, Holmes Beach and part of Longboat Key (2,725 of its 7,359 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers”. Its power plants have 4,152 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas, the 4th largest fleet in Florida. Construction employs 13,962, up 22.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1,080 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Manatee County
Manatee County is home to Bradenton, Palmetto, Holmes Beach and part of Longboat Key (2,725 of its 7,359 residents).
- Longboat Key also extends into Sarasota County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bayshore Gardens, Cortez, Ellenton, Lakewood Ranch, Memphis, Samoset, South Bradenton, West Bradenton, West Samoset, Whitfield.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Manatee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 401,622 | 468,200 | ▲ 16.6% | 16th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 130,433 | 146,007 | ▲ 11.9% | 24th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,309 | $63,511 | ▲ 43.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,371 | 13,962 | ▲ 22.8% | 24th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 940 | 1,259 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41 | 151 | ▲ 268.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,080 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,259, up 33.9% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $72,568 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Next door, Hillsborough County has 17 data centers. Employers here counted 146,007 jobs in 2025, up 11.9% from 2019. 468,200 people live here, up 16.6% since 2020. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Manatee County LFGTE (other technologies, 2 MW, 2019). Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Manatee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Manatee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,078 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Manatee County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,236,277 | 13.71¢ | 41% |
| Peace River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 57,589 | 12.35¢ | 31% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,998 MW | 72% |
| Solar | 745 MW | 18% |
| Battery storage | 409 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manatee | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 2,951 MW | 1976 |
| Manatee Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 484 MW | 2016 |
| Long Branch Solar | Tampa Electric Co | Solar | 75 MW | 2026 |
| Duette Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 74 MW | 2021 |
| Elder Branch | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2022 |
| Flatford | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2026 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manatee County LFGTE | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Manatee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 146,007 | $63,511 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 13,962 | $67,683 | 1.80 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,259 | $72,568 | 1.20 |
| Data processing and hosting | 151 | $158,715 | 0.33 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Manatee County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-09 |
Manatee County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Manatee County, Hillsborough County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manatee County | 468,200 | ▲ 11.9% | 4,152 MW | — | — | 1 |
| DeSoto County | 37,078 | ▲ 6.1% | 625 MW | 149 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Hardee County | 25,932 | ▲ 6.3% | 2,201 MW | — | — | — |
| Hillsborough County | 1,574,115 | ▲ 12.5% | 5,140 MW | 74 MW | 17 | 1 |
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
| Sarasota County | 479,958 | ▲ 12.9% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Manatee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Manatee County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in Manatee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Peace River Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bradenton, FL in?
Bradenton is in Manatee County, Florida. About 58,014 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Palmetto, FL in?
Palmetto is in Manatee County, Florida. About 13,562 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Manatee County?
12 operating plants with 4,152 MW of capacity. The largest is Manatee (2,951 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Manatee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Manatee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hillsborough County.
Is Manatee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 146,007 jobs in 2025 against 130,433 in 2019 (+11.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,371 to 13,962.
Does Manatee County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Manatee County, 1 in force.