St. Lucie County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce
St. Lucie County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. St. Lucie County is home to Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Village. Construction employs 7,481, up 33.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Sentinel Grove Technology Park / Project Jarvis (1,000 MW). Its power plants have 3,465 MW of capacity, 62% of it nuclear, the 8th largest fleet in Florida. 74 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Florida Power & Light Co (solar). 74 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County is home to Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Village.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Pierce North, Fort Pierce South, Hutchinson Island South, Indian River Estates, Lakewood Park, River Park, White City.
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 St. Lucie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 331,453 | 402,449 | ▲ 21.4% | 20th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 79,958 | 92,116 | ▲ 15.2% | 15th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,396 | $54,869 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,591 | 7,481 | ▲ 33.8% | 10th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 835 | 1,060 | ▲ 26.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 110 | 196 | ▲ 78.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8 | 36 | ▲ 350.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 5.3% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 820 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 74 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 14th of 18 by size |
Employers here counted 92,116 jobs in 2025, up 15.2% from 2019. 820 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 1,060, up 26.9% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $68,660 a year. 402,449 people live here, up 21.4% since 2020. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving St. Lucie County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers St. Lucie County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +820 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. Lucie 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% |
| Fort Pierce Utilities Authority | Municipal | Bundled | 24,444 | 12.62¢ | 56% |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,160 MW | 62% |
| Solar | 894 MW | 26% |
| Natural gas | 411 MW | 12% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Lucie | Florida Power & Light Co | Nuclear | 2,160 MW | 1976 |
| Treasure Coast Energy Center | Fort Pierce Utilities Authority | Natural gas | 411 MW | 2008 |
| Bluefield Preserve Solar | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2023 |
| Buttonwood | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
| Clover FL | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2026 |
| Interstate Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Moss | Solar Photovoltaic | 74 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Florida Power & Light Co |
The St. Lucie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 92,116 | $54,869 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,481 | $59,871 | 1.53 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,060 | $68,660 | 1.60 |
| Power and communication line construction | 196 | $64,260 | 1.32 |
| Data processing and hosting | 36 | $59,550 | 0.13 |
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 St. Lucie County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel Grove Technology Park / Project Jarvis | cancelled | 1,000 MW |
St. Lucie County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border St. Lucie County, Okeechobee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lucie County | 402,449 | ▲ 15.2% | 3,465 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Indian River County | 172,799 | ▲ 7.6% | 372 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Martin County | 166,272 | ▲ 11.9% | 2,746 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Okeechobee County | 42,608 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,245 MW | 149 MW | — | — |
More of Florida
St. Lucie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Lucie County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in St. Lucie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Port St. Lucie, FL in?
Port St. Lucie is in St. Lucie County, Florida. About 268,062 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fort Pierce, FL in?
Fort Pierce is in St. Lucie County, Florida. About 51,737 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Lucie County?
14 operating plants with 3,465 MW of capacity. The largest is St Lucie (2,160 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in St. Lucie County?
74 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 74 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Florida Power & Light Co.
Are there data centers in St. Lucie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. Lucie County.
Is St. Lucie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 92,116 jobs in 2025 against 79,958 in 2019 (+15.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,591 to 7,481.
Does St. Lucie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. Lucie County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.