Sanilac County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lexington Township, Worth Township and Sandusky
Sanilac County is a generation frontier for Michigan. Sanilac County is home to Lexington Township, Worth Township, Sandusky and Sanilac Township. 539 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by DTE Electric Company (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Michigan's counties. 539 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 438, up 25.5% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 27, up 17.4% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $57,008 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Sanilac County
Sanilac County is home to Lexington Township, Worth Township, Sandusky and Sanilac Township.
And 15 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Snover.
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 Sanilac County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,499 | 40,083 | ▼ 1.0% | 41st of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,491 | 10,347 | ▼ 1.4% | 55th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,667 | $50,984 | ▲ 35.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 349 | 438 | ▲ 25.5% | 14th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23 | 27 | ▲ 17.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 5.5% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 539 MW | 420% of today's fleet | 2nd of 25 by size |
Its power plants have 128 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Sanilac 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. Employers here counted 10,347 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. 40,083 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Sanilac County
Utilities with service territory in Sanilac 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% |
| City of Croswell - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thumb Electric Coop of Mich | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 122 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 4% |
| Natural gas | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Wind 2 | Michigan Wind 2, LLC | Wind | 90 MW | 2011 |
| Minden Wind Park | DTE Electric Company | Wind | 32 MW | 2012 |
| Croswell | City of Croswell - (MI) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1982 |
| MSC Croswell | Michigan Sugar Company | Natural gas | 1 MW | 1948 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deckerville Solar Park | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | DTE Electric Company |
| Peatville Solar Park | Solar Photovoltaic | 185 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | DTE Electric Company |
| Watertown Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 154 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Watertown Solar, LLC |
The Sanilac County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,347 | $50,984 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 438 | $58,612 | 0.80 |
| Electrical contractors | 27 | $57,008 | 0.36 |
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 Sanilac County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sanilac County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Huron County.
Sanilac County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Sanilac County, St. Clair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanilac County | 40,083 | ▼ 1.4% | 128 MW | 539 MW | — | — |
| Huron County | 30,530 | ▲ 2.1% | 1,024 MW | 200 MW | — | 2 |
| Lapeer County | 89,516 | ▲ 3.4% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Clair County | 160,486 | ▼ 6.4% | 4,493 MW | — | — | — |
| Tuscola County | 52,680 | ▲ 3.6% | 656 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Sanilac County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sanilac County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Sanilac County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, City of Croswell - (MI), Thumb Electric Coop of Mich. The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sanilac County?
4 operating plants with 128 MW of capacity. The largest is Michigan Wind 2 (90 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Sanilac County?
539 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 539 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is DTE Electric Company.
Are there data centers in Sanilac County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sanilac County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Huron County.
Is Sanilac County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,347 jobs in 2025 against 10,491 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 349 to 438.
Does Sanilac County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sanilac County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.