Baraga County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to L'Anse Township, Baraga Township and L'Anse
Baraga 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. Baraga County is home to L'Anse Township, Baraga Township, L'Anse and Baraga. Next door, Houghton County has 1 data center. 56 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 81 MW of capacity, 70% of it natural gas. Upper Peninsula Power Company is the largest utility serving Baraga County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 27.64¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities.
Cities and towns in Baraga County
Baraga County is home to L'Anse Township, Baraga Township, L'Anse and Baraga.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Covington, Pelkie, Skanee, Three Lakes, Zeba.
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 Baraga County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,143 | 8,169 | ▲ 0.3% | 80th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,966 | 2,965 | ● 0.0% | 46th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,851 | $54,198 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.2% | 6.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 56 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,965 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019. Unemployment was 6.0% in August 2026, against 6.2% in 2019. 8,169 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Baraga County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +56 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Baraga County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Peninsula Power Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 47,660 | 27.64¢ | 20% |
| Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 33,252 | 14.76¢ | 7% |
| Village of L'Anse - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 946 | 16.82¢ | 59% |
| Village of Baraga - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 555 | 15.32¢ | 84% |
| Ontonagon County R E A | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 56 MW | 70% |
| Other technologies | 22 MW | 27% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Mihm Generating Station | Upper Michigan Energy Resources Company | Natural gas | 56 MW | 2019 |
| John H Warden | L'Anse Warden Electric Company LLC | Other technologies | 22 MW | 1959 |
| Prickett | Upper Peninsula Power Company | Hydro | 2 MW | 1931 |
The Baraga County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,965 | $54,198 | 1.00 |
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 Baraga County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Baraga County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Baraga County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Baraga County, Marquette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga County | 8,169 | ● 0.0% | 81 MW | — | — | — |
| Houghton County | 37,842 | ▲ 10.3% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Iron County | 11,757 | ▼ 9.9% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Marquette County | 68,064 | ▲ 1.0% | 224 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Baraga County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Baraga County, Michigan?
5 utilities have service territory in Baraga County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Upper Peninsula Power Company, Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp., Village of L'Anse - (MI), Village of Baraga - (MI). The largest, Upper Peninsula Power Company, charged residential customers 27.64¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Baraga County?
3 operating plants with 81 MW of capacity. The largest is A.J. Mihm Generating Station (56 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Baraga County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Baraga County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Houghton County.
Is Baraga County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,965 jobs in 2025 against 2,966 in 2019 (-0.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Baraga County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Baraga County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.