Calhoun County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Battle Creek, Emmett Township and Bedford Township
Calhoun County is where a large share of Michigan's next power plants are planned. 1,500 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Consumers Energy Co - (MI) (natural gas), the largest pipeline among Michigan's counties. 500 MW of it is already under construction or built. Calhoun County is home to Battle Creek, Emmett Township, Bedford Township and Pennfield Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Temporary moratorium on data centers and battery storage”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Alterra Development Marshall Data Center (Brooks Industrial Park) (1,000 MW). Construction employs 1,926, up 19.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Calhoun County
Calhoun County is home to Battle Creek, Emmett Township, Bedford Township and Pennfield Township.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brownlee Park, Level Park-Oak Park.
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 Calhoun County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 134,198 | 133,408 | ▼ 0.6% | 17th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54,347 | 54,949 | ▲ 1.1% | 38th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,576 | $67,996 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,615 | 1,926 | ▲ 19.3% | 28th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 5.3% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 596 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,500 MW | 240% of today's fleet | 1st of 25 by size |
596 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. Its power plants have 624 MW of capacity, 96% of it solar. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Calhoun County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. Employers here counted 54,949 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. 133,408 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Calhoun County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +596 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Calhoun County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,657,843 | 19.11¢ | 36% |
| City of Marshall - (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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 596 MW | 96% |
| Natural gas | 22 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun Solar | Invenergy Services LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2022 |
| River Fork Solar, LLC | River Fork Solar, LLC | Solar | 149 MW | 2024 |
| Calhoun County Solar Project | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 125 MW | 2025 |
| Cereal City Solar, LLC | Cereal City Solar, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2023 |
| Shipsterns Solar, LLC | Shipsterns Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC | The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2006 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEC North | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 500 MW | Approvals received | 2034 | MEC North |
| MEC South | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 500 MW | Approvals pending | 2034 | MEC South |
| Sunfish Solar 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 360 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) |
| Spring Creek Agri-Energy Center | Solar Photovoltaic | 140 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) |
The Calhoun County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 54,949 | $67,996 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,926 | $79,007 | 0.66 |
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 Calhoun County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary moratorium on data centers and battery storage | In force | 2026-08 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alterra Development Marshall Data Center (Brooks Industrial Park) | moratorium delay | 1,000 MW |
Calhoun County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Calhoun County, Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 133,408 | ▲ 1.1% | 624 MW | 1,500 MW | — | 1 |
| Barry County | 63,991 | ▲ 4.7% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Branch County | 45,993 | ▲ 8.8% | 641 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Eaton County | 109,581 | ▲ 8.3% | 287 MW | — | 5 | — |
| Hillsdale County | 45,738 | ▼ 2.0% | 314 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 159,552 | ▼ 2.8% | 674 MW | 225 MW | — | — |
| Kalamazoo County | 263,795 | ▲ 0.9% | 96 MW | 220 MW | 1 | — |
| St. Joseph County | 60,968 | ▼ 11.6% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Calhoun County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Calhoun County, Michigan?
2 utilities have service territory in Calhoun County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), City of Marshall - (MI). The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Battle Creek, MI in?
Battle Creek is in Calhoun County, Michigan. About 52,021 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Emmett Township, MI in?
Emmett Township is in Calhoun County, Michigan. About 11,712 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Calhoun County?
10 operating plants with 624 MW of capacity. The largest is Calhoun Solar (200 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Calhoun County?
1,500 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 500 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Consumers Energy Co - (MI).
Are there data centers in Calhoun County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Calhoun County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kalamazoo County.
Is Calhoun County adding jobs?
Employers counted 54,949 jobs in 2025 against 54,347 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,615 to 1,926.
Does Calhoun County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Calhoun County, 1 in force.