Lake County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to North Township, Calumet Township and Hammond
The data center boom is not abstract in Lake County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Lake County, 9% of Indiana's total. Lake County is home to North Township, Calumet Township, Hammond and St. John Township. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Hobart Amazon Data Center Campus. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC (solar). Electrical contractors employ 1,905, up 22.3% since 2019 against up 34.8% statewide, at an average $110,419 a year.
Cities and towns in Lake County
Lake County is home to North Township, Calumet Township, Hammond and St. John Township.
And 6 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Dalecarlia, Lakes of the Four Seasons, Shelby.
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 Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 498,943 | 504,612 | ▲ 1.1% | 2nd of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 188,875 | 191,579 | ▲ 1.4% | 42nd of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,779 | $62,399 | ▲ 27.9% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,558 | 1,905 | ▲ 22.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 41 | ▲ 64.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.8% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 26 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 15th of 16 by size |
Its power plants have 1,160 MW of capacity, 61% of it natural gas. 26 MW has retired here since 2019, including Indiana Harbor West (natural gas, 25 MW, 2024). Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co is the largest utility serving Lake County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.09¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Employers here counted 191,579 jobs in 2025, up 1.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. 504,612 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020, 2nd of 92 Indiana counties by population.
Who powers Lake County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −26 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lake County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 430,648 | 19.09¢ | 25% |
| Kankakee Valley Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,994 | 15.20¢ | 18% |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 704 MW | 61% |
| Other technologies | 449 MW | 39% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiting Clean Energy | BP Alternative Energy | Natural gas | 577 MW | 2002 |
| Gary Works | United States Steel-Gary | Other technologies | 161 MW | 1997 |
| Indiana Harbor West | Cleveland Cliffs | Natural gas | 127 MW | 1959 |
| Heat Recovery Coke Facility | Cokenergy Inc | Other technologies | 95 MW | 1998 |
| Indiana Harbor E 5 AC Station | Northlake Energy | Other technologies | 90 MW | 1996 |
| Whiting Refinery | BP PLC | Other technologies | 84 MW | 1948 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrillville Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Harbor West | Natural gas | 25 MW | 2024 |
| Munster Landfill Gas-to-Energy | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 191,579 | $62,399 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,905 | $110,419 | 1.38 |
| Data processing and hosting | 41 | $136,854 | 0.07 |
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 Lake County
7 data centers in Lake County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart Amazon Data Center Campus | active litigation | — | ||
| Hobart Tech Park (Amazon Web Services) | tabled | — |
Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lake County, Cook 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 504,612 | ▲ 1.4% | 1,160 MW | 100 MW | 7 | — |
| Cook County IL | 5,194,625 | ▼ 0.5% | 1,364 MW | 35 MW | 122 | — |
| Jasper County | 33,894 | ▼ 3.0% | 1,637 MW | 448 MW | — | — |
| Kankakee County IL | 105,525 | ▼ 7.0% | 248 MW | 320 MW | — | — |
| Newton County | 14,188 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Porter County | 176,049 | ▲ 3.5% | 240 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Will County IL | 712,253 | ▲ 7.8% | 6,936 MW | 17 MW | 1 | — |
More of Indiana
Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake County, Indiana?
2 utilities have service territory in Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co, Kankakee Valley Rural E M C. The largest, Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co, charged residential customers 19.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is North Township, IN in?
North Township is in Lake County, Indiana. About 152,714 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Calumet Township, IN in?
Calumet Township is in Lake County, Indiana. About 89,730 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hammond, IN in?
Hammond is in Lake County, Indiana. About 75,712 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lake County?
11 operating plants with 1,160 MW of capacity. The largest is Whiting Clean Energy (577 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Lake County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in Lake County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Lake County.
Is Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 191,579 jobs in 2025 against 188,875 in 2019 (+1.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lake County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.