Palm Beach County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Boynton Beach
Palm Beach County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Its power plants have 6,242 MW of capacity, 90% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Florida. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Palm Beach County, 7% of Florida's total. Palm Beach County is home to West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers”. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Tango.
Cities and towns in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County is home to West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach.
And 15 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Acacia Villas, Cabana Colony, Canal Point, Gun Club Estates, Juno Ridge, Jupiter Farms, Kenwood Estates, Lake Belvedere Estates, Lake Harbor, Limestone Creek, Pine Air, Plantation Mobile Home Park, Royal Palm Estates, San Castle, Schall Circle, Seminole Manor, Stacey Street, The Acreage, Watergate, Westgate.
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 Palm Beach County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,494,203 | 1,575,726 | ▲ 5.5% | 3rd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 616,001 | 670,798 | ▲ 8.9% | 34th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,421 | $82,085 | ▲ 45.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37,864 | 43,180 | ▲ 14.0% | 37th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,560 | 5,212 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 928 | 937 | ▲ 1.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,455 | 1,927 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 763 | 1,511 | ▲ 98.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 298 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 43,180, up 14.0% since 2019. Next door, Broward County has 6 data centers. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 298 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 670,798 jobs in 2025, up 8.9% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 5,212, up 14.3% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $73,774 a year. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Palm Beach County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024. 1,575,726 people live here, up 5.5% since 2020, 3rd of 67 Florida counties by population.
Who powers Palm Beach County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +298 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Palm Beach 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% |
| City of Lake Worth Beach - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 24,475 | 12.60¢ | 37% |
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 | 5,616 MW | 90% |
| Solar | 298 MW | 5% |
| Other technologies | 287 MW | 5% |
| Petroleum | 41 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West County Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 4,263 MW | 2009 |
| Riviera | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 1,295 MW | 2014 |
| Okeelanta Cogeneration | New Hope Power Company | Other technologies | 129 MW | 1996 |
| Tom G Smith | City of Lake Worth Beach - (FL) | Petroleum | 99 MW | 1965 |
| Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility 2 | Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach Co | Other technologies | 96 MW | 2015 |
| Hibiscus Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2020 |
The Palm Beach County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 670,798 | $82,085 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 43,180 | $79,796 | 1.21 |
| Electrical contractors | 5,212 | $73,774 | 1.08 |
| Power and communication line construction | 937 | $100,402 | 0.86 |
| Electric utilities | 1,927 | $184,300 | 1.06 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,511 | $138,676 | 0.72 |
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 Palm Beach County
8 data centers in Palm Beach County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers | In force | 2026-09 |
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Tango | cancelled | — | ||
| Project Tango (Palm Beach County) | denied without prejudice | — |
Palm Beach County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Palm Beach County, Broward 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County | 1,575,726 | ▲ 8.9% | 6,242 MW | — | 8 | 1 |
| Broward County | 2,013,317 | ▲ 4.8% | 4,094 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Glades County | 13,270 | ▲ 11.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hendry County | 48,276 | ▲ 7.6% | 720 MW | 149 MW | — | 1 |
| Martin County | 166,272 | ▲ 11.9% | 2,746 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Okeechobee County | 42,608 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,245 MW | 149 MW | — | — |
More of Florida
Palm Beach County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Palm Beach County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in Palm Beach County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, City of Lake Worth Beach - (FL). The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is West Palm Beach, FL in?
West Palm Beach is in Palm Beach County, Florida. About 127,189 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Boca Raton, FL in?
Boca Raton is in Palm Beach County, Florida. About 101,582 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Boynton Beach, FL in?
Boynton Beach is in Palm Beach County, Florida. About 82,396 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Palm Beach County?
10 operating plants with 6,242 MW of capacity. The largest is West County Energy Center (4,263 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Palm Beach County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Palm Beach County.
Is Palm Beach County adding jobs?
Employers counted 670,798 jobs in 2025 against 616,001 in 2019 (+8.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 37,864 to 43,180.
Does Palm Beach County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Palm Beach County, 1 in force.