Van Buren County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Antwerp Township, Paw Paw Township and Almena Township
Van Buren County hosts some of the generating capacity Michigan runs on. Van Buren County is home to Antwerp Township, Paw Paw Township, Almena Township and South Haven Township. 85 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Murch Solar, LLC (solar). 85 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 770, up 17.6% since 2019. Next door, Kalamazoo County has 1 data center and 220 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,988 MW of capacity, 59% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Michigan.
Cities and towns in Van Buren County
Van Buren County is home to Antwerp Township, Paw Paw Township, Almena Township and South Haven Township.
And 5 smaller places.
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 Van Buren County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 75,574 | 76,071 | ▲ 0.7% | 26th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,742 | 21,582 | ▼ 0.7% | 51st of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,593 | $53,990 | ▲ 23.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 655 | 770 | ▲ 17.6% | 32nd of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 85 MW | 4% of today's fleet | 20th of 25 by size |
Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Van Buren County, one of 5 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 21,582 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 76,071 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Van Buren County
Utilities with service territory in Van Buren 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% |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 112,600 | 17.00¢ | 37% |
| Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,283 | 19.91¢ | 41% |
| Village of Paw Paw - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of South Haven - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,176 MW | 59% |
| Nuclear | 812 MW | 41% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Covert Generating Facility | Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Natural gas | 1,176 MW | 2004 |
| Palisades | Holtec Palisades, LLC | Nuclear | 812 MW | 1972 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murch Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 85 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Murch Solar, LLC |
The Van Buren County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,582 | $53,990 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 770 | $61,316 | 0.67 |
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 Van Buren County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Van Buren County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Cass County.
Van Buren County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Van Buren County, Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 76,071 | ▼ 0.7% | 1,988 MW | 85 MW | — | — |
| Allegan County | 123,188 | ▲ 8.7% | 230 MW | — | — | — |
| Berrien County | 152,444 | ▼ 0.9% | 2,312 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 51,677 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,174 MW | 150 MW | 2 | 2 |
| Kalamazoo County | 263,795 | ▲ 0.9% | 96 MW | 220 MW | 1 | — |
| St. Joseph County | 60,968 | ▼ 11.6% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Van Buren County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Van Buren County, Michigan?
5 utilities have service territory in Van Buren County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Indiana Michigan Power Co, Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI), Village of Paw Paw - (MI). The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Antwerp Township, MI in?
Antwerp Township is in Van Buren County, Michigan. About 13,832 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Van Buren County?
2 operating plants with 1,988 MW of capacity. The largest is New Covert Generating Facility (1,176 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Van Buren County?
85 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 85 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Murch Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Van Buren County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Van Buren County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kalamazoo County.
Is Van Buren County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,582 jobs in 2025 against 21,742 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 655 to 770.
Does Van Buren County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Van Buren County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.