Monroe County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bedford Township, Frenchtown Township and Monroe
Monroe County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Owners plan to retire 3,280 MW more by 2035, led by Monroe (MI) in 2028. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Monroe County. Monroe County is home to Bedford Township, Frenchtown Township, Monroe and Monroe Township. Its power plants have 4,594 MW of capacity, 71% of it coal, the largest fleet in Michigan. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by DTE Electric Company (solar). 100 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Bedford Township, Frenchtown Township, Monroe and Monroe Township.
- Milan also extends into Washtenaw County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Detroit Beach, Ida, Lambertville, South Monroe, Stony Point, Temperance, West Monroe, Woodland Beach.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 154,912 | 156,004 | ▲ 0.7% | 15th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,819 | 40,577 | ▲ 1.9% | 35th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,725 | $62,304 | ▲ 22.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,630 | 1,953 | ▲ 19.8% | 25th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 19th of 25 by size |
Construction employs 1,953, up 19.8% since 2019. Next door, Wayne County has 10 data centers and 237 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 40,577 jobs in 2025, up 1.9% from 2019. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.13¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 156,004 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,283 | 19.91¢ | 41% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 3,280 MW | 71% |
| Nuclear | 1,217 MW | 26% |
| Petroleum | 78 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe (MI) | DTE Electric Company | Petroleum | 3,293 MW | 1969 |
| Fermi | DTE Electric Company | Petroleum | 1,281 MW | 1966 |
| Temperance Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 20 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strasburg Solar Park | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | DTE Electric Company |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe (MI) | Coal | 1,640 MW | 2028 |
| Monroe (MI) | Coal | 1,640 MW | 2032 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,577 | $62,304 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,953 | $89,415 | 0.91 |
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 Monroe County
1 data center in Monroe County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Monroe County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 156,004 | ▲ 1.9% | 4,594 MW | 100 MW | 1 | — |
| Lenawee County | 97,779 | ▼ 0.1% | 64 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Lucas County OH | 423,347 | ▼ 7.0% | 1,286 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Washtenaw County | 370,214 | ▲ 0.3% | 316 MW | 100 MW | 4 | — |
| Wayne County | 1,769,038 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,311 MW | 237 MW | 10 | — |
More of Michigan
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI). The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bedford Township, MI in?
Bedford Township is in Monroe County, Michigan. About 32,013 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Frenchtown Township, MI in?
Frenchtown Township is in Monroe County, Michigan. About 21,753 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Monroe, MI in?
Monroe is in Monroe County, Michigan. About 20,076 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monroe County?
3 operating plants with 4,594 MW of capacity. The largest is Monroe (MI) (3,293 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Monroe County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 100 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is DTE Electric Company.
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Monroe County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,577 jobs in 2025 against 39,819 in 2019 (+1.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,630 to 1,953.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.