Kent County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grand Rapids, Wyoming and Kentwood
The data center boom is not abstract in Kent County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Kent County, 17% of Michigan's total. Kent County is home to Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood and Plainfield Township. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Microsoft / Franklin Partners Covenant Business Park (Lowell-area township). Construction employs 20,754, up 17.9% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Kent County
Kent County is home to Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood and Plainfield Township.
And 11 smaller places.
- Casnovia also extends into Muskegon County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Byron Center, Cannonsburg, Comstock Park, Cutlerville, Forest Hills, Northview.
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 Kent County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 658,508 | 675,232 | ▲ 2.5% | 4th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 406,962 | 417,408 | ▲ 2.6% | 30th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,627 | $64,799 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,610 | 20,754 | ▲ 17.9% | 30th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,486 | 2,628 | ▲ 5.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 567 | 648 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 700 | 736 | ▲ 5.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 2,628, up 5.7% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $86,422 a year. Its power plants have 72 MW of capacity, 56% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 417,408 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Kent County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 675,232 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020, 4th of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Kent County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kent 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% |
| City of Lowell - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 40 MW | 56% |
| Other technologies | 23 MW | 32% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 8% |
| Hydro | 3 MW | 4% |
| Battery storage | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada Cogeneration LP | Ada Cogeneration LLC | Natural gas | 33 MW | 1990 |
| Kent County Waste to Energy Facility | Kent County - (MI) | Other technologies | 18 MW | 1989 |
| Chatham | City of Lowell - (MI) | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2013 |
| Byrne Solar, LLC | Byrne Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| Bryon Center | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2009 |
| Cascade Dam (MI) | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1986 |
The Kent County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 417,408 | $64,799 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 20,754 | $86,010 | 0.94 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,628 | $86,422 | 0.87 |
| Power and communication line construction | 648 | $105,149 | 0.96 |
| Data processing and hosting | 736 | $113,480 | 0.57 |
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 Kent County
10 data centers in Kent County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft / Franklin Partners Covenant Business Park (Lowell-area township) | rezoning paused | — | ||
| West Michigan Hyperscale Proposals (Solon, Lowell, Gaines Townships) | opposed proposed | — |
Kent County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kent County, Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 675,232 | ▲ 2.6% | 72 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Allegan County | 123,188 | ▲ 8.7% | 230 MW | — | — | — |
| Barry County | 63,991 | ▲ 4.7% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Ionia County | 66,557 | ▼ 7.4% | 8 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Montcalm County | 69,406 | ▲ 1.3% | 1,108 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Muskegon County | 177,901 | ▼ 0.3% | 273 MW | — | — | — |
| Newaygo County | 51,622 | ▼ 2.4% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Ottawa County | 308,459 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,725 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Kent County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kent County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Kent County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, City of Lowell - (MI). The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Grand Rapids, MI in?
Grand Rapids is in Kent County, Michigan. About 201,183 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Wyoming, MI in?
Wyoming is in Kent County, Michigan. About 78,588 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kentwood, MI in?
Kentwood is in Kent County, Michigan. About 54,776 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kent County?
8 operating plants with 72 MW of capacity. The largest is Ada Cogeneration LP (33 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Kent County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Kent County.
Is Kent County adding jobs?
Employers counted 417,408 jobs in 2025 against 406,962 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 17,610 to 20,754.
Does Kent County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kent County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.