Cass County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ontwa Township, Howard Township and Dowagiac
Cass County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Cass County, 3% of Michigan's total. Cass County is home to Ontwa Township, Howard Township, Dowagiac and Porter Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Penn Township Board (Cass County), MI data center moratorium”. 150 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Clenera DevCo LLC (solar). 1,174 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Cass County
Cass County is home to Ontwa Township, Howard Township, Dowagiac and Porter 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 Cass County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 51,553 | 51,677 | ▲ 0.2% | 35th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,395 | 9,582 | ▲ 2.0% | 33rd of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,657 | $53,849 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 311 | 384 | ▲ 23.5% | 17th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38 | 16 | ▼ 57.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 4.8% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,174 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 150 MW | 13% of today's fleet | 11th of 25 by size |
Construction employs 384, up 23.5% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,174 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 10th largest fleet in Michigan. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 9,582 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. Indiana Michigan Power Co is the largest utility serving Cass County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.00¢/kWh in 2024. 51,677 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 16, down 57.9% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $62,855 a year.
Who powers Cass County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,174 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cass 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 Dowagiac | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,174 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indeck Niles Energy Center | Indeck Niles, LLC | Natural gas | 1,174 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemstone Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Clenera DevCo LLC |
The Cass County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,582 | $53,849 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 384 | $64,288 | 0.76 |
| Electrical contractors | 16 | $62,855 | 0.23 |
| Data processing and hosting | 5 | $37,922 | 0.17 |
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 Cass County
2 data centers in Cass County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Township Board (Cass County), MI data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 | |
| Porter Township Board (Cass County), MI data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Cass County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 51,677 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,174 MW | 150 MW | 2 | 2 |
| Berrien County | 152,444 | ▼ 0.9% | 2,312 MW | — | — | — |
| Elkhart County IN | 208,774 | ▼ 4.6% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Kalamazoo County | 263,795 | ▲ 0.9% | 96 MW | 220 MW | 1 | — |
| St. Joseph County IN | 272,861 | ▼ 2.3% | 1,012 MW | — | 20 | 1 |
| St. Joseph County | 60,968 | ▼ 11.6% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County | 76,071 | ▼ 0.7% | 1,988 MW | 85 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Cass County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cass County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Cass County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Indiana Michigan Power Co, Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI), City of Dowagiac, Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, Indiana Michigan Power Co, charged residential customers 17.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cass County?
1 operating plant with 1,174 MW of capacity. The largest is Indeck Niles Energy Center (1,174 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Cass County?
150 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Clenera DevCo LLC.
Are there data centers in Cass County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Cass County.
Is Cass County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,582 jobs in 2025 against 9,395 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 311 to 384.
Does Cass County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Cass County, 2 in force.