Berrien County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lincoln Township, Niles Township and Benton Township
Berrien County hosts some of the generating capacity Michigan runs on. Berrien County is home to Lincoln Township, Niles Township, Benton Township and Niles. Its power plants have 2,312 MW of capacity, 99% of it nuclear, the 4th largest fleet in Michigan. Next door, St. Joseph County, Indiana, has 20 data centers. Construction employs 1,934, down 15.4% since 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies.
Cities and towns in Berrien County
Berrien County is home to Lincoln Township, Niles Township, Benton Township and Niles.
And 15 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Benton Heights, Fair Plain, Lake Michigan Beach, Millburg, New Troy, Paw Paw Lake, Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert.
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 Berrien County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 154,395 | 152,444 | ▼ 1.3% | 16th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 61,153 | 60,632 | ▼ 0.9% | 53rd of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,316 | $58,183 | ▲ 18.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,285 | 1,934 | ▼ 15.4% | 66th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.8% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Indiana Michigan Power Co is the largest utility serving Berrien County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.00¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 60,632 jobs in 2025, down 0.9% from 2019. 152,444 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Berrien County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Berrien County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 112,600 | 17.00¢ | 37% |
| Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,283 | 19.91¢ | 41% |
| City of Niles - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,285 MW | 99% |
| Hydro | 13 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 9 MW | 0% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald C Cook | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Nuclear | 2,285 MW | 1975 |
| Berrien Springs | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Hydro | 7 MW | 1996 |
| Southeast Berrien Generating Facility | North American Natural Res | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2009 |
| Watervliet PV | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Buchanan (MI) | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Hydro | 4 MW | 1919 |
| Watervliet | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2013 |
The Berrien County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 60,632 | $58,183 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,934 | $71,561 | 0.60 |
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 Berrien County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Berrien County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Cass County, St. Joseph County.
Berrien County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Berrien County, St. Joseph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien County | 152,444 | ▼ 0.9% | 2,312 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 51,677 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,174 MW | 150 MW | 2 | 2 |
| LaPorte County IN | 111,294 | ▼ 0.4% | 546 MW | — | 3 | — |
| St. Joseph County IN | 272,861 | ▼ 2.3% | 1,012 MW | — | 20 | 1 |
| Van Buren County | 76,071 | ▼ 0.7% | 1,988 MW | 85 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Berrien County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Berrien County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Berrien County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Indiana Michigan Power Co, Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI), City of Niles - (MI). The largest, Indiana Michigan Power Co, charged residential customers 17.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lincoln Township, MI in?
Lincoln Township is in Berrien County, Michigan. About 14,814 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Niles Township, MI in?
Niles Township is in Berrien County, Michigan. About 14,304 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Benton Township, MI in?
Benton Township is in Berrien County, Michigan. About 14,228 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Berrien County?
7 operating plants with 2,312 MW of capacity. The largest is Donald C Cook (2,285 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Berrien County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Berrien County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Joseph County.
Is Berrien County adding jobs?
Employers counted 60,632 jobs in 2025 against 61,153 in 2019 (-0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,285 to 1,934.
Does Berrien County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Berrien County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.