Montcalm County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greenville, Bloomer Township and Reynolds Township
Montcalm County is where a large share of Michigan's next power plants are planned. Montcalm County is home to Greenville, Bloomer Township, Reynolds Township and Eureka Township. 300 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Freshwater Solar LLC (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among Michigan's counties. 300 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 724, up 20.5% since 2019. 300 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 1,108 MW of capacity, 73% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Montcalm County
Montcalm County is home to Greenville, Bloomer Township, Reynolds Township and Eureka Township.
And 5 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Crystal, Trufant.
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 Montcalm County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 66,659 | 69,406 | ▲ 4.1% | 27th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,173 | 16,387 | ▲ 1.3% | 37th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,185 | $50,167 | ▲ 24.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 601 | 724 | ▲ 20.5% | 23rd of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 104 | ▼ 21.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 300 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 300 MW | 27% of today's fleet | 3rd of 25 by size |
Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Montcalm 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 16,387 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 69,406 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 104, down 21.8% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $56,059 a year.
Who powers Montcalm County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +300 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montcalm 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% |
| Great Lakes Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 120,645 | 19.17¢ | 12% |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 806 MW | 73% |
| Wind | 150 MW | 14% |
| Solar | 148 MW | 13% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance Power Plant | DTE Electric Company | Natural gas | 782 MW | 2002 |
| Gratiot Farms Wind Project | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Wind | 150 MW | 2020 |
| Fish Creek Solar Park | DTE Electric Company | Solar | 146 MW | 2026 |
| Vestaburg | Wolverine Power Supply Coop | Natural gas | 24 MW | 1972 |
| Central Generating | North American Central - LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2018 |
| Hazel Solar, LLC | Hazel Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Freshwater Solar LLC |
| Freshwater Solar II, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Freshwater Solar II, LLC |
The Montcalm County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,387 | $50,167 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 724 | $63,358 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 104 | $56,059 | 0.88 |
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 Montcalm County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montcalm County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Clinton County.
Montcalm County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Montcalm County, Kent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montcalm County | 69,406 | ▲ 1.3% | 1,108 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Clinton County | 80,432 | ▲ 14.2% | 23 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Gratiot County | 41,190 | ▼ 3.3% | 1,124 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Ionia County | 66,557 | ▼ 7.4% | 8 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Isabella County | 64,691 | ▼ 6.0% | 722 MW | — | — | — |
| Kent County | 675,232 | ▲ 2.6% | 72 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Mecosta County | 42,320 | ▼ 7.4% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Newaygo County | 51,622 | ▼ 2.4% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Montcalm County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montcalm County, Michigan?
5 utilities have service territory in Montcalm County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, Tri-County Electric Coop (MI). The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Montcalm County?
6 operating plants with 1,108 MW of capacity. The largest is Renaissance Power Plant (782 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Montcalm County?
300 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 300 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Freshwater Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Montcalm County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montcalm County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kent County.
Is Montcalm County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,387 jobs in 2025 against 16,173 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 601 to 724.
Does Montcalm County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montcalm County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.