Wayne County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Detroit, Dearborn and Canton Township
The data center boom is not abstract in Wayne County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Wayne County, 17% of Michigan's total. Wayne County is home to Detroit, Dearborn, Canton Township and Livonia. 1,031 MW has retired here since 2019, including Trenton Channel (coal, 536 MW, 2022). 237 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by DTE Electric Company (battery storage), the 4th largest pipeline among Michigan's counties. 237 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 6.9% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Detroit, Dearborn, Canton Township and Livonia.
And 16 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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,789,634 | 1,769,038 | ▼ 1.2% | 1st of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 734,176 | 721,389 | ▼ 1.7% | 57th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $62,554 | $79,422 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,253 | 24,687 | ▲ 16.2% | 36th of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,634 | 3,464 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 837 | 1,152 | ▲ 37.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 6.9% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 49 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1,031 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 237 MW | 18% of today's fleet | 4th of 25 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 3,464, up 31.5% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $96,660 a year. Construction employs 24,687, up 16.2% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,311 MW of capacity, 78% of it natural gas, the 9th largest fleet in Michigan. 49 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 721,389 jobs in 2025, down 1.7% from 2019. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Wayne County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.13¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 1,769,038 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020, 1st of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Wayne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −982 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| Wyandotte Municipal Serv Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 11,730 | 16.28¢ | 25% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,027 MW | 78% |
| Other technologies | 256 MW | 20% |
| Battery storage | 14 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 0% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dearborn Industrial Generation | Dearborn Industrial Gen Inc | Natural gas | 748 MW | 1999 |
| Sumpter | Wolverine Power Supply Coop | Natural gas | 340 MW | 2002 |
| Delray | DTE Electric Company | Natural gas | 142 MW | 2000 |
| Dearborn Energy Center | DTE Electric Company | Natural gas | 35 MW | 2019 |
| Slocum Energy Storage | DTE Electric Company | Battery storage | 14 MW | 2025 |
| Sumpter Energy Associates | NextEra Renewable Fuels, LLC | Other technologies | 11 MW | 1992 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Channel Energy Center | Batteries | 220 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | DTE Electric Company |
| City of Detroit Castle Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 10 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | DTE Electric Company |
| City of Detroit Greenfield | Solar Photovoltaic | 7 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | DTE Electric Company |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Channel | Coal | 536 MW | 2022 |
| River Rouge | Coal | 358 MW | 2021 |
| Greater Detroit Resource Recovery | Other technologies | 68 MW | 2019 |
| Wyandotte | Natural gas | 44 MW | 2026 |
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 721,389 | $79,422 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 24,687 | $94,647 | 0.65 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,464 | $96,660 | 0.67 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,152 | $105,311 | 0.51 |
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 Wayne County
10 data centers in Wayne County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Wayne County, Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 1,769,038 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,311 MW | 237 MW | 10 | — |
| Macomb County | 886,221 | ▲ 0.2% | 135 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Monroe County | 156,004 | ▲ 1.9% | 4,594 MW | 100 MW | 1 | — |
| Oakland County | 1,288,337 | ▼ 3.5% | 152 MW | — | 19 | — |
| Washtenaw County | 370,214 | ▲ 0.3% | 316 MW | 100 MW | 4 | — |
More of Michigan
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Michigan?
2 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Wyandotte Municipal Serv Comm. The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Detroit, MI in?
Detroit is in Wayne County, Michigan. About 649,095 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Dearborn, MI in?
Dearborn is in Wayne County, Michigan. About 105,611 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Canton Township, MI in?
Canton Township is in Wayne County, Michigan. About 99,714 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wayne County?
12 operating plants with 1,311 MW of capacity. The largest is Dearborn Industrial Generation (748 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Wayne County?
237 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 237 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is DTE Electric Company.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Wayne County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 721,389 jobs in 2025 against 734,176 in 2019 (-1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 21,253 to 24,687.
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.