Grand Traverse County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Garfield Township, Traverse City and East Bay Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Grand Traverse County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Grand Traverse County is home to Garfield Township, most of Traverse City (15,477 of its 15,832 residents), East Bay Township and Long Lake Township. Construction employs 3,247, up 19.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 52,238 jobs in 2025, up 3.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 374, at an average $64,868 a year.
Cities and towns in Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County is home to Garfield Township, most of Traverse City (15,477 of its 15,832 residents), East Bay Township and Long Lake Township.
- Traverse City also extends into Leelanau County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chums Corner, Grawn, Interlochen.
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 Grand Traverse County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 95,428 | 96,729 | ▲ 1.4% | 22nd of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50,662 | 52,238 | ▲ 3.1% | 28th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,982 | $61,366 | ▲ 33.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,729 | 3,247 | ▲ 19.0% | 29th of 69 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 162 | 162 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 119 | 110 | ▼ 7.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Grand Traverse County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 96,729 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Grand Traverse County
Utilities with service territory in Grand Traverse 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% |
| Cherryland Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,100 | 16.36¢ | 28% |
| City of Traverse City - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 9,161 | 12.70¢ | 43% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Lake Solar | Heritage Sustainable Energy. LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2018 |
The Grand Traverse County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 52,238 | $61,366 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,247 | $71,179 | 1.17 |
| Electrical contractors | 374 | $64,868 | 0.99 |
| Electric utilities | 162 | $144,239 | 1.15 |
| Data processing and hosting | 110 | $81,238 | 0.68 |
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 Grand Traverse County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grand Traverse County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Grand Traverse County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Grand Traverse County, Manistee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Traverse County | 96,729 | ▲ 3.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Antrim County | 24,698 | ▼ 5.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Benzie County | 18,568 | ▲ 14.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Kalkaska County | 18,693 | ▲ 15.7% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Leelanau County | 22,982 | ▲ 13.1% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Manistee County | 25,656 | ▲ 3.7% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Missaukee County | 15,274 | ▲ 23.2% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Wexford County | 34,445 | ▼ 7.2% | 61 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Grand Traverse County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grand Traverse County, Michigan?
5 utilities have service territory in Grand Traverse County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, Cherryland Electric Coop Inc, City of Traverse City - (MI). The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Garfield Township, MI in?
Garfield Township is in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. About 19,698 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Traverse City, MI in?
Most of Traverse City is in Grand Traverse County: 15,477 of its 15,832 residents, or 98%. The rest of the city lies in Leelanau County.
What county is East Bay Township, MI in?
East Bay Township is in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. About 11,780 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Grand Traverse County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Green Lake Solar (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Grand Traverse County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grand Traverse County.
Is Grand Traverse County adding jobs?
Employers counted 52,238 jobs in 2025 against 50,662 in 2019 (+3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,729 to 3,247.
Does Grand Traverse County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grand Traverse County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.