Orange County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Orlando, Apopka and Ocoee
Orange County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 12 data centers in Orange County, 10% of Florida's total. Orange County is home to Orlando, Apopka, Ocoee and Winter Garden. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Its power plants have 2,223 MW of capacity, 51% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Orange County
Orange County is home to Orlando, Apopka, Ocoee and Winter Garden.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alafaya, Azalea Park, Bay Hill, Bithlo, Christmas, Clarcona, Conway, Doctor Phillips, Fairview Shores, Four Corners, Goldenrod, Gotha, Holden Heights, Horizon West, Hunters Creek, Lake Butler, Lake Hart, Lake Mary Jane, Lockhart, Meadow Woods, Oak Ridge, Orlovista, Paradise Heights, Pine Castle, Pine Hills, Rio Pinar, Sky Lake, South Apopka, Southchase, Taft, Tangelo Park, Tangerine, Tildenville, Union Park, University, Wedgefield, Williamsburg, Zellwood.
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 Orange County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,431,608 | 1,528,002 | ▲ 6.7% | 5th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 868,723 | 954,330 | ▲ 9.9% | 31st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,501 | $70,599 | ▲ 37.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 45,364 | 46,590 | ▲ 2.7% | 51st of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,735 | 5,554 | ▲ 17.3% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 381 | 471 | ▲ 23.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,919 | 1,710 | ▼ 10.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 77 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 73 MW | — |
Employers here counted 954,330 jobs in 2025, up 9.9% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 5,554, up 17.3% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $68,292 a year. 73 MW has retired here since 2019, including Central Energy Plant (natural gas, 70 MW, 2024). Construction employs 46,590, up 2.7% since 2019. 77 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Orange County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024. 1,528,002 people live here, up 6.7% since 2020, 5th of 67 Florida counties by population.
Who powers Orange County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Orange 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% |
| Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,793,067 | 16.63¢ | 38% |
| Orlando Utilities Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 248,683 | 15.24¢ | 60% |
| City of Winter Park - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 12,137 | 13.63¢ | 56% |
| Central Florida Tourism Oversight District | Municipal | Bundled | 9 | 11.48¢ | 100% |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,144 MW | 51% |
| Coal | 929 MW | 42% |
| Solar | 147 MW | 7% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton Energy Center | Orlando Utilities Comm | Coal | 1,262 MW | 1987 |
| Curtis H Stanton Energy Center | Stanton Clean Energy LLC | Natural gas | 688 MW | 2003 |
| Orlando Cogen LP | Florida Municipal Power Agency (FL) | Natural gas | 122 MW | 1993 |
| Taylor Creek Solar | Taylor Creek Solar LLC | Solar | 74 MW | 2020 |
| Citrus Ridge Solar | FL Solar 5, LLC | Solar | 52 MW | 2018 |
| RP-Orlando, LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2011 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Energy Plant | Natural gas | 70 MW | 2024 |
| Harvest Power Orlando | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2020 |
The Orange County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 954,330 | $70,599 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 46,590 | $79,787 | 0.92 |
| Electrical contractors | 5,554 | $68,292 | 0.81 |
| Electric utilities | 471 | $127,779 | 0.18 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,710 | $114,851 | 0.58 |
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 Orange County
12 data centers in Orange County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Orange County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Orange County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 1,528,002 | ▲ 9.9% | 2,223 MW | — | 12 | 1 |
| Brevard County | 663,982 | ▲ 9.5% | 3,705 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Lake County | 456,068 | ▲ 17.1% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Osceola County | 481,718 | ▲ 18.3% | 2,720 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
| Seminole County | 491,884 | ▲ 6.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Volusia County | 606,573 | ▲ 7.7% | 3,324 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Florida
Orange County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orange County, Florida?
5 utilities have service territory in Orange County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Orlando Utilities Comm, City of Winter Park - (FL). The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Orlando, FL in?
Orlando is in Orange County, Florida. About 333,888 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Apopka, FL in?
Apopka is in Orange County, Florida. About 65,552 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Ocoee, FL in?
Ocoee is in Orange County, Florida. About 51,932 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Orange County?
10 operating plants with 2,223 MW of capacity. The largest is Stanton Energy Center (1,262 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Orange County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 12 data centers in Orange County.
Is Orange County adding jobs?
Employers counted 954,330 jobs in 2025 against 868,723 in 2019 (+9.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 45,364 to 46,590.
Does Orange County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Orange County, 0 in force.