Pasco County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Zephyrhills, New Port Richey and Dade City
Pasco County is a generation frontier for Florida. Pasco County is home to Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Dade City and Port Richey. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 150,334 jobs in 2025, up 23.5% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 67 Florida counties). Construction employs 13,016, up 27.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 629 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Shady Hills Energy Center, LLC (natural gas), the largest pipeline among Florida's counties. 629 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Pasco County
Pasco County is home to Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Dade City and Port Richey.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aripeka, Bayonet Point, Beacon Square, Connerton, Crystal Springs, Dade City North, Elfers, Heritage Pines, Holiday, Hudson, Jasmine Estates, Key Vista, Lacoochee, Land O' Lakes, Meadow Oaks, Moon Lake, New Port Richey East, Odessa, Pasadena Hills, Quail Ridge, River Ridge, Shady Hills, Trilby, Trinity, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills North, Zephyrhills South, Zephyrhills West.
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 Pasco County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 566,170 | 674,516 | ▲ 19.1% | 10th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 121,741 | 150,334 | ▲ 23.5% | 6th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,995 | $58,228 | ▲ 42.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,233 | 13,016 | ▲ 27.2% | 17th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 943 | 1,409 | ▲ 49.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 55 | 89 | ▲ 61.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 125 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 629 MW | 35% of today's fleet | 1st of 18 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 1,409, up 49.4% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $61,393 a year. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 1,809 MW of capacity, 91% of it natural gas. 674,516 people live here, up 19.1% since 2020, 10th of 67 Florida counties by population. 125 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Pasco County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities.
Who powers Pasco County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +125 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pasco County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,793,067 | 16.63¢ | 38% |
| Tampa Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 757,280 | 14.67¢ | 41% |
| Withlacoochee River Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 229,375 | 12.35¢ | 23% |
| Sumter Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 228,855 | 13.09¢ | 7% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,654 MW | 91% |
| Solar | 125 MW | 7% |
| Other technologies | 31 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anclote | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 1,112 MW | 1974 |
| Shady Hills Generating Station | Shady Hills Power Co LLC | Natural gas | 541 MW | 2002 |
| Juniper Solar (FL) | Tampa Electric Co | Solar | 70 MW | 2023 |
| Mountain View Solar (FL) | Tampa Electric Co | Solar | 55 MW | 2022 |
| Pasco Cnty Solid Waste Resource Recovery | Pasco County - (FL) | Other technologies | 31 MW | 1991 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shady Hills Combined Cycle Facility | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 612 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Shady Hills Energy Center, LLC |
| Pasco Cnty Solid Waste Resource Recovery | Municipal Solid Waste | 17 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Pasco County - (FL) |
The Pasco County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 150,334 | $58,228 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 13,016 | $63,152 | 1.63 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,409 | $61,393 | 1.30 |
| Electric utilities | 626 | $108,985 | 1.54 |
| Data processing and hosting | 89 | $108,693 | 0.19 |
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 Pasco County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Pasco County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Pasco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasco County | 674,516 | ▲ 23.5% | 1,809 MW | 629 MW | — | 1 |
| Hernando County | 221,701 | ▲ 12.2% | 75 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Hillsborough County | 1,574,115 | ▲ 12.5% | 5,140 MW | 74 MW | 17 | 1 |
| Pinellas County | 948,563 | ▲ 0.3% | 1,727 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Pasco County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pasco County, Florida?
4 utilities have service territory in Pasco County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Tampa Electric Co, Withlacoochee River Elec Coop, Sumter Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Zephyrhills, FL in?
Zephyrhills is in Pasco County, Florida. About 22,447 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is New Port Richey, FL in?
New Port Richey is in Pasco County, Florida. About 18,299 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Dade City, FL in?
Dade City is in Pasco County, Florida. About 10,173 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pasco County?
5 operating plants with 1,809 MW of capacity. The largest is Anclote (1,112 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Pasco County?
629 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 629 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Shady Hills Energy Center, LLC.
Are there data centers in Pasco County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pasco County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hillsborough County.
Is Pasco County adding jobs?
Employers counted 150,334 jobs in 2025 against 121,741 in 2019 (+23.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 10,233 to 13,016.
Does Pasco County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Pasco County, 1 in force.