Ingham County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lansing, East Lansing and Meridian Township
Ingham County is living through the turnover of the U.S. power fleet. Ingham County is home to most of Lansing (108,771 of its 113,884 residents), most of East Lansing (46,904 of its 49,355 residents), Meridian Township and Delhi Township. Construction employs 5,972, up 28.1% since 2019. 15 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Michigan State University (natural gas). 15 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Eaton County has 5 data centers. 240 MW has retired here since 2019, including Eckert Station (coal, 240 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Ingham County
Ingham County is home to most of Lansing (108,771 of its 113,884 residents), most of East Lansing (46,904 of its 49,355 residents), Meridian Township and Delhi Township.
- Lansing also extends into Eaton County.
- East Lansing also extends into Clinton County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Edgemont Park, Haslett, Holt, Okemos.
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 Ingham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 285,005 | 289,709 | ▲ 1.7% | 8th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 153,127 | 155,298 | ▲ 1.4% | 36th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,734 | $71,017 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,661 | 5,972 | ▲ 28.1% | 11th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 434 | 500 | ▲ 15.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 190 | 225 | ▲ 18.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 68 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 240 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 15 MW | 5% of today's fleet | 24th of 25 by size |
Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 500, up 15.2% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $84,219 a year. 68 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 276 MW of capacity, 82% of it natural gas. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Ingham County, one of 5 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 155,298 jobs in 2025, up 1.4% from 2019. 289,709 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020, 8th of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Ingham County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −172 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ingham 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% |
| City of Lansing - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 87,301 | 19.78¢ | 48% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,034 | 18.04¢ | 13% |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 226 MW | 82% |
| Solar | 50 MW | 18% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T B Simon Power Plant | Michigan State University | Natural gas | 128 MW | 1965 |
| Lansing BWL REO Town Plant | Lansing Board of Water and Light | Natural gas | 98 MW | 2013 |
| Blue Elk II Solar, LLC | Blue Elk II Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2024 |
| Blue Elk III Solar, LLC | Blue Elk III Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Spartan PV 1, LLC | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T B Simon Power Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 15 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | Michigan State University |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eckert Station | Coal | 240 MW | 2021 |
The Ingham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 155,298 | $71,017 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,972 | $88,563 | 0.73 |
| Electrical contractors | 500 | $84,219 | 0.45 |
| Power and communication line construction | 80 | $78,543 | 0.32 |
| Data processing and hosting | 225 | $98,913 | 0.47 |
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 Ingham County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ingham County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Clinton County, Livingston County.
Ingham County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Ingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingham County | 289,709 | ▲ 1.4% | 276 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Clinton County | 80,432 | ▲ 14.2% | 23 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Eaton County | 109,581 | ▲ 8.3% | 287 MW | — | 5 | — |
| Jackson County | 159,552 | ▼ 2.8% | 674 MW | 225 MW | — | — |
| Livingston County | 197,315 | ▲ 2.0% | 14 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Shiawassee County | 67,681 | ▼ 1.2% | 287 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Ingham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ingham County, Michigan?
5 utilities have service territory in Ingham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), City of Lansing - (MI), Tri-County Electric Coop (MI). The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lansing, MI in?
Most of Lansing is in Ingham County: 108,771 of its 113,884 residents, or 96%. The rest of the city lies in Eaton County.
What county is East Lansing, MI in?
Most of East Lansing is in Ingham County: 46,904 of its 49,355 residents, or 95%. The rest of the city lies in Clinton County.
What county is Meridian Township, MI in?
Meridian Township is in Ingham County, Michigan. About 44,869 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ingham County?
5 operating plants with 276 MW of capacity. The largest is T B Simon Power Plant (128 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Ingham County?
15 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 15 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Michigan State University.
Are there data centers in Ingham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ingham County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Eaton County.
Is Ingham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 155,298 jobs in 2025 against 153,127 in 2019 (+1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,661 to 5,972.
Does Ingham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ingham County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.