Suwannee County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Live Oak
No data center or power plant project is on record in Suwannee County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Suwannee County is home to Live Oak and Branford. Construction employs 702, up 26.9% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 259 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 466 MW of capacity, 50% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Suwannee County
Suwannee County is home to Live Oak and Branford.
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 Suwannee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 43,518 | 48,149 | ▲ 10.6% | 45th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,464 | 11,824 | ▲ 3.1% | 59th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,802 | $48,685 | ▲ 36.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 553 | 702 | ▲ 26.9% | 18th of 59 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 5.6% | ▲ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 259 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
48,149 people live here, up 10.6% since 2020. Employers here counted 11,824 jobs in 2025, up 3.1% from 2019. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Suwannee County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Suwannee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +259 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Suwannee 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% |
| Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,793,067 | 16.63¢ | 38% |
| Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 171,179 | 13.09¢ | 20% |
| Suwannee Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,934 | 15.00¢ | 21% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 233 MW | 50% |
| Natural gas | 132 MW | 28% |
| Petroleum | 66 MW | 14% |
| Battery storage | 35 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suwannee River | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 198 MW | 1980 |
| Echo River Solar | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 104 MW | 2020 |
| Falmouth Renewable Energy Center | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2024 |
| Hildreth Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2023 |
| Suwannee Solar Facility | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 9 MW | 2017 |
| Suwannee | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Battery storage | 5 MW | 2025 |
The Suwannee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,824 | $48,685 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 702 | $66,090 | 1.12 |
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 Suwannee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Suwannee County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Madison County.
Suwannee County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Suwannee County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suwannee County | 48,149 | ▲ 3.1% | 466 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 74,094 | ▲ 0.3% | 403 MW | — | — | — |
| Gilchrist County | 20,488 | ▲ 7.6% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 14,180 | ▲ 2.8% | 174 MW | — | — | — |
| Lafayette County | 8,792 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 18,759 | ▲ 10.1% | 224 MW | 74 MW | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Suwannee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Suwannee County, Florida?
4 utilities have service territory in Suwannee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL), Suwannee Valley Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Suwannee County?
6 operating plants with 466 MW of capacity. The largest is Suwannee River (198 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Suwannee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Suwannee County.
Is Suwannee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,824 jobs in 2025 against 11,464 in 2019 (+3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 553 to 702.
Does Suwannee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Suwannee County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.