Genesee County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Flint, Grand Blanc Township and Flint Township
Genesee County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Genesee County, 5% of Michigan's total. Genesee County is home to Flint, Grand Blanc Township, Flint Township and Burton. Construction employs 6,857, up 21.9% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 824, up 34.9% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $79,989 a year. 63 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Genesee County
Genesee County is home to Flint, Grand Blanc Township, Flint Township and Burton.
And 9 smaller places.
- Lennon also extends into Shiawassee County.
- Otter Lake also extends into Lapeer County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Argentine, Beecher, Lake Fenton.
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 Genesee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 405,746 | 401,093 | ▼ 1.1% | 5th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 135,885 | 134,908 | ▼ 0.7% | 50th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,239 | $57,658 | ▲ 22.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,624 | 6,857 | ▲ 21.9% | 21st of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 611 | 824 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85 | 66 | ▼ 22.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 5.8% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 63 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 5.8% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 117 MW of capacity, 54% of it solar. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Genesee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.13¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. Employers here counted 134,908 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019. 401,093 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020, 5th of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Genesee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +63 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Genesee 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% |
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 | 63 MW | 54% |
| Other technologies | 54 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee Solar Project | Genesee Solar Energy, LLC | Solar | 41 MW | 2025 |
| Genesee Power Station LP | NorthStar Clean Energy | Other technologies | 40 MW | 1995 |
| Blue Elk VII Solar, LLC | Blue Elk VII Solar, LLC | Solar | 12 MW | 2023 |
| Grand Blanc Generating Station | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 7 MW | 1994 |
| Brent Run Generating Station | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 7 MW | 1998 |
| Captain Solar, LLC | Captain Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Genesee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 134,908 | $57,658 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,857 | $84,195 | 0.96 |
| Electrical contractors | 824 | $79,989 | 0.85 |
| Power and communication line construction | 83 | $97,110 | 0.38 |
| Data processing and hosting | 66 | $46,912 | 0.16 |
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 Genesee County
3 data centers in Genesee County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Genesee County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Genesee County, Oakland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee County | 401,093 | ▼ 0.7% | 117 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lapeer County | 89,516 | ▲ 3.4% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Livingston County | 197,315 | ▲ 2.0% | 14 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Oakland County | 1,288,337 | ▼ 3.5% | 152 MW | — | 19 | — |
| Saginaw County | 187,688 | ▼ 4.2% | 9 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Shiawassee County | 67,681 | ▼ 1.2% | 287 MW | — | — | — |
| Tuscola County | 52,680 | ▲ 3.6% | 656 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Genesee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Genesee County, Michigan?
2 utilities have service territory in Genesee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI). The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Flint, MI in?
Flint is in Genesee County, Michigan. About 79,306 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Grand Blanc Township, MI in?
Grand Blanc Township is in Genesee County, Michigan. About 40,022 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Flint Township, MI in?
Flint Township is in Genesee County, Michigan. About 30,844 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Genesee County?
10 operating plants with 117 MW of capacity. The largest is Genesee Solar Project (41 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Genesee County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Genesee County.
Is Genesee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 134,908 jobs in 2025 against 135,885 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,624 to 6,857.
Does Genesee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Genesee County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.