Oceana County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shelby Township, Grant Township and Newfield Township
Oceana County is where a large share of Michigan's next power plants are planned. Oceana County is home to Shelby Township, Grant Township, Newfield Township and Shelby. Electrical contractors employ 75, up 53.1% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $55,817 a year. 120 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Hart Solar Partners, LLC (solar). 120 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 324, up 5.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 6,510 jobs in 2025, down 4.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Oceana County
Oceana County is home to Shelby Township, Grant Township, Newfield Township and Shelby.
- Hesperia also extends into Newaygo County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mears.
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 Oceana County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,717 | 27,177 | ▲ 1.7% | 51st of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,824 | 6,510 | ▼ 4.6% | 70th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,445 | $48,005 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 306 | 324 | ▲ 5.9% | 49th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49 | 75 | ▲ 53.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.0% | 5.4% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 120 MW | 2353% of today's fleet | 16th of 25 by size |
Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 73% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 6.0% in 2019. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Oceana 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. 27,177 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Oceana County
Utilities with service territory in Oceana 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 Hart Hydro - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 73% |
| Natural gas | 1 MW | 27% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hart | City of Hart Hydro - (MI) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1964 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hart Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 120 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Hart Solar Partners, LLC |
The Oceana County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,510 | $48,005 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 324 | $58,288 | 0.94 |
| Electrical contractors | 75 | $55,817 | 1.60 |
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 Oceana County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Oceana County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Oceana County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Oceana County, Mason 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceana County | 27,177 | ▼ 4.6% | 5 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Lake County | 13,182 | ▼ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Mason County | 29,040 | ▼ 1.6% | 2,218 MW | — | — | — |
| Muskegon County | 177,901 | ▼ 0.3% | 273 MW | — | — | — |
| Newaygo County | 51,622 | ▼ 2.4% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Oceana County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oceana County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Oceana County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, City of Hart Hydro - (MI), Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Oceana County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Hart (5 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Oceana County?
120 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 120 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Hart Solar Partners, LLC.
Are there data centers in Oceana County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Oceana County.
Is Oceana County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,510 jobs in 2025 against 6,824 in 2019 (-4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 306 to 324.
Does Oceana County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Oceana County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.