Kalamazoo County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kalamazoo, Portage and Oshtemo Township
Kalamazoo County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo County is home to Kalamazoo, Portage, Oshtemo Township and Kalamazoo Township. 220 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Consumers Energy Co - (MI) (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among Michigan's counties. 220 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 6,145, up 9.5% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County is home to Kalamazoo, Portage, Oshtemo Township and Kalamazoo Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Comstock Northwest, Eastwood, Scotts, South Gull Lake, Westwood.
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 Kalamazoo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 261,780 | 263,795 | ▲ 0.8% | 9th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 121,019 | 122,119 | ▲ 0.9% | 40th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,862 | $68,292 | ▲ 26.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,612 | 6,145 | ▲ 9.5% | 44th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 667 | 769 | ▲ 15.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 220 MW | 229% of today's fleet | 6th of 25 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 769, up 15.3% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $85,373 a year. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including Graphic Packaging (natural gas, 12 MW, 2019). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 96 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Kalamazoo 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. Employers here counted 122,119 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. 263,795 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020, 9th of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Kalamazoo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kalamazoo 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% |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 112,600 | 17.00¢ | 37% |
| Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,283 | 19.91¢ | 41% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 94 MW | 98% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo River Generating Station | CMS Generation MI Power LLC | Natural gas | 77 MW | 1999 |
| Western Michigan University Power Plant | Western Michigan University | Natural gas | 17 MW | 1997 |
| Parkview Battery | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2018 |
| Western Michigan Solar Gardens | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Solar | 1 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Solar Energy Center | Solar Photovoltaic | 220 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Packaging | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2019 |
The Kalamazoo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 122,119 | $68,292 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,145 | $83,383 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 769 | $85,373 | 0.87 |
| Data processing and hosting | 56 | $84,618 | 0.15 |
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 Kalamazoo County
1 data center in Kalamazoo County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Kalamazoo County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kalamazoo County, Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo County | 263,795 | ▲ 0.9% | 96 MW | 220 MW | 1 | — |
| Allegan County | 123,188 | ▲ 8.7% | 230 MW | — | — | — |
| Barry County | 63,991 | ▲ 4.7% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Branch County | 45,993 | ▲ 8.8% | 641 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 133,408 | ▲ 1.1% | 624 MW | 1,500 MW | — | 1 |
| Cass County | 51,677 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,174 MW | 150 MW | 2 | 2 |
| St. Joseph County | 60,968 | ▼ 11.6% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County | 76,071 | ▼ 0.7% | 1,988 MW | 85 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Kalamazoo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kalamazoo County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Kalamazoo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Indiana Michigan Power Co, Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI), Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Kalamazoo, MI in?
Kalamazoo is in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. About 72,683 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Portage, MI in?
Portage is in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. About 49,862 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Oshtemo Township, MI in?
Oshtemo Township is in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. About 23,971 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kalamazoo County?
4 operating plants with 96 MW of capacity. The largest is Kalamazoo River Generating Station (77 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Kalamazoo County?
220 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 220 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Consumers Energy Co - (MI).
Are there data centers in Kalamazoo County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Kalamazoo County.
Is Kalamazoo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 122,119 jobs in 2025 against 121,019 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,612 to 6,145.
Does Kalamazoo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kalamazoo County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.