Alpena County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alpena, Alpena Township and Sanborn Township
Alpena County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Alpena County is home to Alpena, Alpena Township, Sanborn Township and Wilson Township. 8 MW has retired here since 2019, including Decorative Panels Intl (natural gas, 8 MW, 2024). Employers here counted 12,115 jobs in 2025, up 7.6% from 2019. Construction employs 464, down 3.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 54 MW of capacity, 87% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Alpena County
Alpena County is home to Alpena, Alpena Township, Sanborn Township and Wilson Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ossineke.
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 Alpena County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,891 | 28,853 | ▼ 0.1% | 50th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,263 | 12,115 | ▲ 7.6% | 14th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,374 | $53,577 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 483 | 464 | ▼ 3.9% | 62nd of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 73, at an average $62,838 a year. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop is the largest utility serving Alpena County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 28,853 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Alpena County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Alpena County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,446 | 20.99¢ | 16% |
| Alpena Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 13,763 | 17.43¢ | 31% |
| Wolverine Power Supply Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 47 MW | 87% |
| Hydro | 7 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena Cement Plant | Amrize Cement Inc. | Petroleum | 47 MW | 1952 |
| Norway Point Hydropower Project | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 4 MW | 1990 |
| Four Mile Hydropower Project | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1990 |
| Ninth Street Hydropower Project | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1990 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorative Panels Intl | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2024 |
The Alpena County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,115 | $53,577 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 464 | $57,683 | 0.72 |
| Electrical contractors | 73 | $62,838 | 0.84 |
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 Alpena County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Alpena County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Alpena County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Alpena County, Presque Isle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena County | 28,853 | ▲ 7.6% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Alcona County | 10,556 | ▼ 16.7% | 28 MW | — | — | — |
| Montmorency County | 9,842 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Oscoda County | 8,723 | ▼ 17.3% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Presque Isle County | 13,128 | ▼ 4.1% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Alpena County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alpena County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Alpena County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop, Alpena Power Co, Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop, charged residential customers 20.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Alpena, MI in?
Alpena is in Alpena County, Michigan. About 10,088 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Alpena County?
4 operating plants with 54 MW of capacity. The largest is Alpena Cement Plant (47 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Alpena County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Alpena County.
Is Alpena County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,115 jobs in 2025 against 11,263 in 2019 (+7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 483 to 464.
Does Alpena County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Alpena County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.