Luce County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pentland Township, McMillan Township and Newberry
No data center or power plant project is on record in Luce County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Luce County is home to Pentland Township, McMillan Township, Newberry and Lakefield Township. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Newberry (petroleum, 6 MW, 2023). Employers here counted 1,932 jobs in 2025, up 6.8% from 2019. Cloverland Electric Co-op is the largest utility serving Luce County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.37¢/kWh in 2024, below the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. Unemployment was 5.8% in August 2026, against 6.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Luce County
Luce County is home to Pentland Township, McMillan Township, Newberry and Lakefield Township.
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 Luce County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,411 | 6,339 | ▼ 1.1% | 81st of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,809 | 1,932 | ▲ 6.8% | 18th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,504 | $47,539 | ▲ 23.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.2% | 5.8% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
6,339 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Luce County
Utilities with service territory in Luce County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloverland Electric Co-op | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,086 | 14.37¢ | 40% |
| Newberry Water & Light Board | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Luce County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newberry | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2023 |
The Luce County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,932 | $47,539 | 1.00 |
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 Luce County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Luce County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Luce County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Luce County, Chippewa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luce County | 6,339 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Alger County | 8,641 | ▲ 7.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 36,081 | ▲ 3.8% | 89 MW | — | — | — |
| Mackinac County | 11,236 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Schoolcraft County | 8,187 | ▲ 5.3% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Luce County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Luce County, Michigan?
2 utilities have service territory in Luce County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Cloverland Electric Co-op, Newberry Water & Light Board. The largest, Cloverland Electric Co-op, charged residential customers 14.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Luce County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Luce County.
Is Luce County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,932 jobs in 2025 against 1,809 in 2019 (+6.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Luce County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Luce County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.