Branch County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Coldwater, Quincy Township and Coldwater Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Branch County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Branch County is home to Coldwater, Quincy Township, Coldwater Township and Union Township. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by DTE Electric Company (solar). 100 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 517, up 22.2% since 2019. Next door, Calhoun County has 1,500 MW of planned generation. 627 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Branch County
Branch County is home to Coldwater, Quincy Township, Coldwater Township and Union Township.
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 Branch County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 44,877 | 45,993 | ▲ 2.5% | 37th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,150 | 15,400 | ▲ 8.8% | 11th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,756 | $56,859 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 423 | 517 | ▲ 22.2% | 20th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 51 | 56 | ▲ 9.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.9% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 627 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 16% of today's fleet | 17th of 25 by size |
Employers here counted 15,400 jobs in 2025, up 8.8% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 56, up 9.8% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $55,383 a year. Its power plants have 641 MW of capacity, 82% of it solar. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Branch County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.13¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 45,993 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019.
Who powers Branch County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +627 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Branch County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTE Electric Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,067,779 | 20.13¢ | 41% |
| Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,657,843 | 19.11¢ | 36% |
| Coldwater Board of Public Util | Municipal | Bundled | 6,393 | 14.86¢ | 9% |
| Village of Union City - (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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 523 MW | 82% |
| Battery storage | 105 MW | 16% |
| Natural gas | 13 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branch Solar Project | Branch Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2026 |
| Coldwater River Solar | Coldwater River Solar, LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Sauk Solar Park | DTE Electric Company | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Tibbits Energy Storage | Tibbits Energy Storage LLC | Battery storage | 105 MW | 2025 |
| Greenstone Solar, LLC | Greenstone Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Coldwater Peaking Plant | Coldwater Board of Public Util | Natural gas | 13 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Creek Solar Park | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | DTE Electric Company |
The Branch County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,400 | $56,859 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 517 | $56,981 | 0.63 |
| Electrical contractors | 56 | $55,383 | 0.50 |
| Data processing and hosting | 5 | $61,882 | 0.10 |
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 Branch County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Branch County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Calhoun County, LaGrange County.
Branch County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Branch County, Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branch County | 45,993 | ▲ 8.8% | 641 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 133,408 | ▲ 1.1% | 624 MW | 1,500 MW | — | 1 |
| Hillsdale County | 45,738 | ▼ 2.0% | 314 MW | — | — | — |
| Kalamazoo County | 263,795 | ▲ 0.9% | 96 MW | 220 MW | 1 | — |
| LaGrange County IN | 41,305 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| St. Joseph County | 60,968 | ▼ 11.6% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Steuben County IN | 34,799 | ▼ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Branch County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Branch County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Branch County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Coldwater Board of Public Util, Village of Union City - (MI). The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Coldwater, MI in?
Coldwater is in Branch County, Michigan. About 14,216 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Branch County?
8 operating plants with 641 MW of capacity. The largest is Branch Solar Project (200 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Branch County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 100 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is DTE Electric Company.
Are there data centers in Branch County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Branch County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Calhoun County.
Is Branch County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,400 jobs in 2025 against 14,150 in 2019 (+8.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 423 to 517.
Does Branch County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Branch County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.