Tuscola County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Caro, Millington Township and Vassar Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Tuscola County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Tuscola County is home to Caro, Millington Township, Vassar Township and Elkland Township. Next door, Sanilac County has 539 MW of planned generation. 254 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 626, up 1.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 656 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Tuscola County
Tuscola County is home to Caro, Millington Township, Vassar Township and Elkland Township.
And 10 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fostoria.
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 Tuscola County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 53,324 | 52,680 | ▼ 1.2% | 34th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,730 | 12,153 | ▲ 3.6% | 26th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,566 | $52,102 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 620 | 626 | ▲ 1.0% | 57th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 5.6% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 254 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 12,153 jobs in 2025, up 3.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Tuscola 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. 52,680 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Tuscola County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +254 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Tuscola 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% |
| 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 629 MW | 96% |
| Petroleum | 23 MW | 3% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Winds Energy Park | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Wind | 231 MW | 2014 |
| Pegasus Wind | Pegasus Wind, LLC | Wind | 178 MW | 2019 |
| Tuscola Bay Wind | Tuscola Bay Wind LLC | Wind | 120 MW | 2012 |
| Tuscola Wind II LLC | Tuscola Wind II LLC | Wind | 100 MW | 2013 |
| Wilmot | DTE Electric Company | Petroleum | 14 MW | 1968 |
| Caro | Thumb Electric Coop of Mich | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1949 |
The Tuscola County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,153 | $52,102 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 626 | $53,148 | 0.97 |
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 Tuscola County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Tuscola County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Huron County.
Tuscola County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Tuscola County, Sanilac 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola County | 52,680 | ▲ 3.6% | 656 MW | — | — | — |
| Bay County | 102,123 | ▼ 0.8% | 1,434 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Genesee County | 401,093 | ▼ 0.7% | 117 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Huron County | 30,530 | ▲ 2.1% | 1,024 MW | 200 MW | — | 2 |
| Lapeer County | 89,516 | ▲ 3.4% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Saginaw County | 187,688 | ▼ 4.2% | 9 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Sanilac County | 40,083 | ▼ 1.4% | 128 MW | 539 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
Tuscola County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tuscola County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Tuscola County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (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 Tuscola County?
7 operating plants with 656 MW of capacity. The largest is Cross Winds Energy Park (231 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Tuscola County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tuscola County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sanilac County.
Is Tuscola County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,153 jobs in 2025 against 11,730 in 2019 (+3.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 620 to 626.
Does Tuscola County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Tuscola County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.