Cheboygan County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cheboygan, Benton Township and Tuscarora Township
Cheboygan 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. Electrical contractors employ 53, up 140.9% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $76,398 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 8.2% in 2019. Cheboygan County is home to Cheboygan, Benton Township, Tuscarora Township and Inverness Township. Construction employs 674, up 22.3% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Bay Windpower I (wind, 2 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Cheboygan County
Cheboygan County is home to Cheboygan, Benton Township, Tuscarora Township and Inverness Township.
- Mackinaw City also extends into Emmet County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Indian River, Tower.
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 Cheboygan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,575 | 25,793 | ▲ 0.9% | 56th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,253 | 6,125 | ▼ 2.0% | 59th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,731 | $51,051 | ▲ 47.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 551 | 674 | ▲ 22.3% | 19th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 53 | ▲ 140.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 8.2% | 4.6% | ▼ 3.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 83% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 6,125 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Cheboygan County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 25,793 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Cheboygan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cheboygan 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% |
| Great Lakes Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 120,645 | 19.17¢ | 12% |
| Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,446 | 20.99¢ | 16% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 21 MW | 83% |
| Hydro | 4 MW | 17% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower | Wolverine Power Supply Coop | Petroleum | 21 MW | 1971 |
| Kleber | Tower Kleber Ltd Partnership | Hydro | 2 MW | 1925 |
| Cheboygan | Great Lakes Tissue Co | Hydro | 2 MW | 1984 |
| Alverno Hydro Plant | Energen Renewables, LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1960 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Windpower I | Wind | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Cheboygan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,125 | $51,051 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 674 | $88,344 | 2.08 |
| Electrical contractors | 53 | $76,398 | 1.20 |
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 Cheboygan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cheboygan County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Cheboygan County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cheboygan County, Presque Isle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheboygan County | 25,793 | ▼ 2.0% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Charlevoix County | 26,036 | ▲ 6.2% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Emmet County | 33,775 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Montmorency County | 9,842 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Otsego County | 26,080 | ▲ 2.9% | 694 MW | — | — | — |
| Presque Isle County | 13,128 | ▼ 4.1% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Cheboygan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cheboygan County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Cheboygan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop, Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cheboygan County?
4 operating plants with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Tower (21 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Cheboygan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cheboygan County.
Is Cheboygan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,125 jobs in 2025 against 6,253 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 551 to 674.
Does Cheboygan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cheboygan County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.