Ottawa County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Georgetown Township, Holland Township and Allendale Township
Ottawa County hosts some of the generating capacity Michigan runs on. Owners plan to retire 1,564 MW more by 2035, led by J H Campbell in 2026. Ottawa County is home to Georgetown Township, Holland Township, Allendale Township and most of Holland (27,343 of its 35,372 residents). Its power plants have 2,725 MW of capacity, 57% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in Michigan. Construction employs 7,064, up 16.4% since 2019. Next door, Kent County has 10 data centers.
Cities and towns in Ottawa County
Ottawa County is home to Georgetown Township, Holland Township, Allendale Township and most of Holland (27,343 of its 35,372 residents).
- Holland also extends into Allegan County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allendale, Beechwood, Jenison, Lamont, Nunica.
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 Ottawa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 296,893 | 308,459 | ▲ 3.9% | 7th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 128,301 | 129,408 | ▲ 0.9% | 41st of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,772 | $61,590 | ▲ 26.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,068 | 7,064 | ▲ 16.4% | 34th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 772 | 888 | ▲ 15.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21 | 47 | ▲ 123.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 115 MW | — |
115 MW has retired here since 2019, including J B Sims (coal, 80 MW, 2020). Electrical contractors employ 888, up 15.0% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $70,634 a year. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Ottawa County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. Employers here counted 129,408 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. 308,459 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020, 7th of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Ottawa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −115 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ottawa 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 Holland | Municipal | Bundled | 26,608 | 11.68¢ | 28% |
| City of Grand Haven - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 13,231 | 14.74¢ | 32% |
| City of Zeeland - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,037 | 10.12¢ | 12% |
| 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,561 MW | 57% |
| Natural gas | 1,152 MW | 42% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 0% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J H Campbell | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Coal | 1,561 MW | 1962 |
| Zeeland Generating Station | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Natural gas | 968 MW | 2001 |
| Holland Energy Park | City of Holland - (MI) | Natural gas | 149 MW | 2017 |
| Zeeland | City of Zeeland - (MI) | Natural gas | 22 MW | 1957 |
| Riley Generating Station | City of Zeeland - (MI) | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2006 |
| Coopersville | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 6 MW | 1994 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| J B Sims | Coal | 80 MW | 2020 |
| Sixth Street Gas Turbine | Petroleum | 24 MW | 2023 |
| Grand Haven Diesel Plant | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2020 |
| Autumn Hills Generating Facility | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2024 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| J H Campbell | Coal | 1,561 MW | 2026 |
| Zeeland | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2032 |
The Ottawa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 129,408 | $61,590 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,064 | $75,605 | 1.03 |
| Electrical contractors | 888 | $70,634 | 0.95 |
| Data processing and hosting | 47 | $122,356 | 0.12 |
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 Ottawa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ottawa County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Ottawa County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 308,459 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,725 MW | — | — | — |
| Allegan County | 123,188 | ▲ 8.7% | 230 MW | — | — | — |
| Kent County | 675,232 | ▲ 2.6% | 72 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Muskegon County | 177,901 | ▼ 0.3% | 273 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Ottawa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ottawa County, Michigan?
6 utilities have service territory in Ottawa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, City of Holland, City of Grand Haven - (MI). The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Georgetown Township, MI in?
Georgetown Township is in Ottawa County, Michigan. About 55,682 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Holland Township, MI in?
Holland Township is in Ottawa County, Michigan. About 40,862 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Allendale Township, MI in?
Allendale Township is in Ottawa County, Michigan. About 27,519 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ottawa County?
9 operating plants with 2,725 MW of capacity. The largest is J H Campbell (1,561 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Ottawa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ottawa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kent County.
Is Ottawa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 129,408 jobs in 2025 against 128,301 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,068 to 7,064.
Does Ottawa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ottawa County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.