Polk County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lakeland and Winter Haven, and the communities of Lakeland Highlands
Polk County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Its power plants have 6,676 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in Florida. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Polk County, 4% of Florida's total. Polk County is home to Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City and Bartow, plus the unincorporated community of Lakeland Highlands. 112 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Tampa Electric Co (solar), the 9th largest pipeline among Florida's counties. 92 MW of it is already under construction or built. 676 MW has retired here since 2019, including C D McIntosh Jr (coal, 364 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City and Bartow, plus the unincorporated community of Lakeland Highlands.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lakeland Highlands, Alturas, Babson Park, Bradley Junction, Combee Settlement, Crooked Lake Park, Crystal Lake, Cypress Gardens, Four Corners, Fuller Heights, Fussels Corner, Grenelefe, Highland City, Homeland, Indian Lake Estates, Inwood, Jan Phyl Village, Kathleen, Loughman, Medulla, Poinciana, Wahneta, Waverly, Willow Oak.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 730,148 | 874,790 | ▲ 19.8% | 9th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 228,202 | 264,981 | ▲ 16.1% | 13th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,809 | $57,763 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,094 | 15,770 | ▲ 20.4% | 25th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,397 | 1,498 | ▲ 7.2% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 414 | 470 | ▲ 13.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 68 | ▲ 19.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.6% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 777 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 676 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 112 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 9th of 18 by size |
Construction employs 15,770, up 20.4% since 2019. Employers here counted 264,981 jobs in 2025, up 16.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 777 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Next door, Hillsborough County has 17 data centers. 874,790 people live here, up 19.8% since 2020, 9th of 67 Florida counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 1,498, up 7.2% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $64,240 a year. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities.
Who powers Polk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +101 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Polk 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% |
| City of Lakeland - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 121,604 | 11.40¢ | 27% |
| Peace River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 57,589 | 12.35¢ | 31% |
| City of Bartow - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,613 | 10.83¢ | 29% |
| City of Fort Meade - (FL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 29
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 5,746 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 580 MW | 9% |
| Other technologies | 255 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 55 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 40 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hines Energy Complex | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 2,266 MW | 1999 |
| Polk | Tampa Electric Co | Natural gas | 1,458 MW | 1996 |
| C D McIntosh Jr | City of Lakeland - (FL) | Natural gas | 666 MW | 1970 |
| Osprey Energy Center Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 644 MW | 2004 |
| Tiger Bay | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 278 MW | 1997 |
| Orange Cogeneration Facility | Northern Star Generation Services Co LLC | Natural gas | 157 MW | 1995 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattaniah Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 52 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Tampa Electric Co |
| Brewster Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 40 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Tampa Electric Co |
| Pace Road Battery Storage | Batteries | 20 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Tampa Electric Co |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| C D McIntosh Jr | Coal | 364 MW | 2021 |
| Polk | Natural gas | 133 MW | 2025 |
| C D McIntosh Jr | Natural gas | 126 MW | 2020 |
| Wheelabrator Ridge Energy | Other technologies | 46 MW | 2019 |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 264,981 | $57,763 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 15,770 | $67,955 | 1.12 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,498 | $64,240 | 0.78 |
| Electric utilities | 470 | $142,401 | 0.66 |
| Data processing and hosting | 68 | $118,819 | 0.08 |
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 Polk County
5 data centers in Polk County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 10 counties that border Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
| Hardee County | 25,932 | ▲ 6.3% | 2,201 MW | — | — | — |
| Highlands County | 111,122 | ▲ 4.3% | 62 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Hillsborough County | 1,574,115 | ▲ 12.5% | 5,140 MW | 74 MW | 17 | 1 |
| Lake County | 456,068 | ▲ 17.1% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Manatee County | 468,200 | ▲ 11.9% | 4,152 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Okeechobee County | 42,608 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,245 MW | 149 MW | — | — |
| Orange County | 1,528,002 | ▲ 9.9% | 2,223 MW | — | 12 | 1 |
| Osceola County | 481,718 | ▲ 18.3% | 2,720 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Pasco County | 674,516 | ▲ 23.5% | 1,809 MW | 629 MW | — | 1 |
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Florida?
7 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Tampa Electric Co, Withlacoochee River Elec Coop, City of Lakeland - (FL). The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lakeland, FL in?
Lakeland is in Polk County, Florida. About 125,520 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Winter Haven, FL in?
Winter Haven is in Polk County, Florida. About 62,313 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Haines City, FL in?
Haines City is in Polk County, Florida. About 45,973 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Polk County?
29 operating plants with 6,676 MW of capacity. The largest is Hines Energy Complex (2,266 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Polk County?
112 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 92 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Tampa Electric Co.
Are there data centers in Polk County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Polk County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 264,981 jobs in 2025 against 228,202 in 2019 (+16.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 13,094 to 15,770.
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.