Pinellas County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo
Pinellas County hosts some of the generating capacity Florida runs on. Pinellas County is home to St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo and Pinellas Park. Next door, Hillsborough County has 17 data centers. Construction employs 26,156, up 10.5% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 392 MW more by 2035, led by Bayboro in 2026. Its power plants have 1,727 MW of capacity, 79% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Pinellas County
Pinellas County is home to St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo and Pinellas Park.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bardmoor, Bay Pines, Bear Creek, East Lake, Feather Sound, Greenbriar, Harbor Bluffs, Lealman, Palm Harbor, Ridgecrest, South Highpoint, Tierra Verde, West Lealman.
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 Pinellas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 959,805 | 948,563 | ▼ 1.2% | 7th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 440,101 | 441,425 | ▲ 0.3% | 64th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,809 | $70,854 | ▲ 39.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,660 | 26,156 | ▲ 10.5% | 43rd of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,652 | 2,991 | ▼ 18.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 912 | 947 | ▲ 3.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 913 | 1,432 | ▲ 56.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 210 MW | — |
210 MW has retired here since 2019, including Higgins (natural gas, 153 MW, 2019). Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Pinellas County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities. Employers here counted 441,425 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019. 948,563 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020, 7th of 67 Florida counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 2,991, down 18.1% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $70,930 a year.
Who powers Pinellas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −207 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pinellas 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% |
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 | 1,365 MW | 79% |
| Petroleum | 281 MW | 16% |
| Other technologies | 76 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 0% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P L Bartow | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 1,476 MW | 1972 |
| Bayboro | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Petroleum | 170 MW | 1973 |
| Pinellas County Resource Recovery | Reworld Projects, LLC | Other technologies | 76 MW | 1983 |
| John Hopkins Middle School Microgrid | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Battery storage | 3 MW | 2023 |
| Lockheed Martin Solar System | Lockheed Martin Solar System | Solar | 2 MW | 2015 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higgins | Natural gas | 153 MW | 2019 |
| Bayboro | Petroleum | 57 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayboro | Petroleum | 170 MW | 2026 |
| P L Bartow | Natural gas | 111 MW | 2034 |
| P L Bartow | Petroleum | 111 MW | 2034 |
The Pinellas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 441,425 | $70,854 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 26,156 | $68,922 | 1.12 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,991 | $70,930 | 0.94 |
| Power and communication line construction | 487 | $71,704 | 0.68 |
| Electric utilities | 947 | $123,447 | 0.79 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,432 | $140,435 | 1.04 |
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 Pinellas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pinellas County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hillsborough County, Pasco County.
Pinellas County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Pinellas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinellas County | 948,563 | ▲ 0.3% | 1,727 MW | — | — | — |
| Hillsborough County | 1,574,115 | ▲ 12.5% | 5,140 MW | 74 MW | 17 | 1 |
| Pasco County | 674,516 | ▲ 23.5% | 1,809 MW | 629 MW | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Pinellas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pinellas County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in Pinellas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Tampa Electric Co. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is St. Petersburg, FL in?
St. Petersburg is in Pinellas County, Florida. About 264,033 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Clearwater, FL in?
Clearwater is in Pinellas County, Florida. About 114,364 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Largo, FL in?
Largo is in Pinellas County, Florida. About 80,690 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pinellas County?
5 operating plants with 1,727 MW of capacity. The largest is P L Bartow (1,476 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Pinellas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pinellas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hillsborough County.
Is Pinellas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 441,425 jobs in 2025 against 440,101 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 23,660 to 26,156.
Does Pinellas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pinellas County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.