Power Supply Chain and Demand in Illinois
PJM runs most of Illinois's grid. 7,823 MW of new generation is planned in Illinois, 2,900 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 3,196 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 212 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 19.22¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +10.7% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, and construction employment is +10.2% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 28 local moratoria or restrictions for Illinois across all statuses (21 in force) and 16 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Illinois
Illinois is in the middle of the pack, with a few sharp signals worth watching. Data processing and hosting jobs grew 53.9% from 2019 to 2025, 13th of 46 states that disclose the industry. Developers have announced $38.5B of data center capital in Illinois, 12th among the 31 states with a disclosed figure. The data center industry now accounts for 2.1% of Illinois's economy, the 20th largest share of any state (the median state is 1.8%), counting the industry's in-state suppliers and payrolls. Households pay part of the cost: residential prices are +10.7% year to date, the 12th fastest increase of 51. Factory employment is the exception: manufacturing jobs are -2.3% against August 2019.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 230.5k | 254.1k | ▲ 10.2% | 33rd of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28,863 | 30,002 | ▲ 3.9% | 44th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,315 | 7,096 | ▼ 3.0% | 38th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,977 | 16,892 | ▲ 53.9% | 13th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 3.8% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 17.36¢ | 19.22¢ | ▲ 10.7% | 12th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 52.8 GW operating | 7.8 GW planned | 15% of fleet | 25th of 51 |
Where Illinois ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Regionally, Indiana leads on data processing and hosting jobs, 2019 to 2025 at +58.6%; Illinois is 2nd of 6 in its neighborhood at +53.9%.
County spotlight
Cook County holds the most data centers on record in Illinois (122), and its electrical contractor workforce changed -5.6% since 2019 to 10,944 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Sangamon County: 1,279 MW, led by Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC (natural gas). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Madison County, where contractor jobs grew 26.9% to 872.
Where Illinois sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- PJM
- Operating capacity
- 52.8 GW
- Planned generation
- 7,823 MW
- Under construction or built
- 2,900 MW
- Data centers identified
- 212
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.7%
- Residential price change
- +10.7%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Illinois, county by county
102 counties in Illinois. Planned generation sits in 57 of them, data centers stand in 13, and local measures are on record in 8. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 74
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 122 | 35 MW | 27 MW | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated | 10,944 | ▼ 5.6% | — | — | |
| DuPage County | 57 | 14 MW | 14 MW | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated | 5,052 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | |
| DeKalb County | 5 | 100 MW | 5 MW | Leeward Asset Management, LLC | 245 | ▲ 7.0% | — | — | |
| Champaign County | 5 | 8 MW | 5 MW | Generate Capital | 407 | ▲ 62.2% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Lake County | 4 | 5 MW | 5 MW | Standard Solar | 1,332 | ▲ 2.1% | 1 (1 in force) | 2 | |
| Kendall County | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
| Ogle County | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Peoria County | 2 | 11 MW | 11 MW | AES Clean Energy | 285 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | |
| Macon County | 2 | 2 MW | 2 MW | Argenta Solar, LLC | 558 | ▲ 16.0% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Mercer County | 1 | 42 MW | 42 MW | Birch Creek Development | — | — | — | — | |
| Will County | 1 | 17 MW | 17 MW | Standard Solar | 1,006 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | |
| Knox County | 1 | 5 MW | 5 MW | SV CSG Reeder Solar, LLC | 90 | — | — | — | |
| Massac County | 1 | 2 MW | 2 MW | Generate Capital | — | — | — | — | |
| Sangamon County | — | 1,279 MW | 2 MW | Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC | 444 | ▲ 11.0% | — | — | |
| Lee County | — | 1,200 MW | — | TerraForm Power Operating, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Livingston County | — | 1,096 MW | 478 MW | Pattern Operators LP | — | — | — | — | |
| Woodford County | — | 428 MW | 428 MW | Panther Grove Wind, LLC | 194 | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Pulaski County | — | 417 MW | 417 MW | Joppa BESS LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| LaSalle County | — | 322 MW | 169 MW | Avangrid Power LLC | 230 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | |
| Kankakee County | — | 320 MW | 5 MW | Pattern Operators LP | 175 | — | — | — | |
| White County | — | 303 MW | — | Vesper Energy Development LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Coles County | — | 300 MW | 300 MW | Coles Wind, LLC | 138 | ▲ 36.6% | — | — | |
| Shelby County | — | 250 MW | — | Strata Clean Energy | 15 | ▲ 114.3% | — | — | |
| Logan County | — | 204 MW | 1 MW | Repsol Renewables NA | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Marshall County | — | 178 MW | — | Old Town Wind LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Perry County | — | 168 MW | 168 MW | Great Plains Solar, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| St. Clair County | — | 155 MW | 155 MW | Geronimo Power | 318 | ▲ 7.4% | — | — | |
| Jefferson County | — | 155 MW | 155 MW | RWE Clean Energy | — | — | — | — | |
| Adams County | — | 140 MW | — | Strata Clean Energy | — | — | — | — | |
| Clay County | — | 127 MW | 2 MW | Flora Solar, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Fayette County | — | 119 MW | 119 MW | Switchgrass Plains Solar, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Jackson County | — | 101 MW | 95 MW | Big Muddy Solar Project, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Clinton County | — | 53 MW | 53 MW | Birch Creek Development | — | — | — | — | |
| Johnson County | — | 36 MW | 36 MW | Birch Creek Development | — | — | — | — | |
| Grundy County | — | 25 MW | 15 MW | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Tazewell County | — | 20 MW | 20 MW | Dimension Energy LLC | 627 | ▲ 8.3% | 2 (1 in force) | — | |
| McLean County | — | 20 MW | 10 MW | SV CSG Bloomington, LLC | 451 | ▲ 13.6% | — | — | |
| Boone County | — | 18 MW | 18 MW | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | — | — | — | — | |
| McHenry County | — | 17 MW | 17 MW | Pivot Energy | 663 | ▲ 10.9% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Kane County | — | 17 MW | 12 MW | SV CSG Sun Trust Solar, LLC | 1,482 | ▲ 1.1% | — | 1 | |
| Bureau County | — | 16 MW | 16 MW | Generate Capital | 42 | ● 0.0% | — | — | |
| Williamson County | — | 12 MW | 12 MW | Dimension Energy LLC | 61 | — | — | — | |
| Winnebago County | — | 11 MW | 6 MW | Cypress Creek Renewables | 275 | ▼ 29.5% | — | — | |
| Montgomery County | — | 10 MW | 10 MW | Dimension Energy LLC | 26 | ▲ 8.3% | — | — | |
| McDonough County | — | 10 MW | 10 MW | Generate Capital | — | — | — | — | |
| Madison County | — | 8 MW | 2 MW | SV CSG South Roxana, LLC | 872 | ▲ 26.9% | — | — | |
| Henry County | — | 8 MW | 1 MW | HQCA Energy Solutions, LLC | 416 | ▲ 105.9% | — | — | |
| Richland County | — | 5 MW | 5 MW | SV CSG Diel 1, LLC | 7 | ▼ 36.4% | — | — | |
| Piatt County | — | 5 MW | — | Madden Creek Solar, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Macoupin County | — | 5 MW | 5 MW | Dimension Energy LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Bond County | — | 5 MW | 5 MW | Dimension Energy LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Iroquois County | — | 4 MW | 4 MW | Gilman Solar LLC PV | — | — | — | — | |
| Saline County | — | 4 MW | 4 MW | SV CSG Angelly 1, LLC | 144 | — | — | — | |
| Menard County | — | 3 MW | 3 MW | ENGIE Distributed Renewables Development LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Hancock County | — | 2 MW | 2 MW | Dimension Energy LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Stephenson County | — | 2 MW | 2 MW | SolAmerica Energy / Stephenson County IL S1, LLC | 154 | ▼ 16.3% | — | — | |
| Schuyler County | — | 2 MW | 2 MW | USS Mourning Lane | — | — | — | — | |
| Whiteside County | — | 1 MW | 1 MW | United States Solar Corporation | 204 | ▲ 75.9% | — | — | |
| Pike County | — | 1 MW | — | Illinois Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | |
| Effingham County | — | — | — | — | 177 | ▲ 10.6% | — | — | |
| Marion County | — | — | — | — | 137 | ▲ 121.0% | — | — | |
| Rock Island County | — | — | — | — | 89 | ▼ 23.9% | — | — | |
| Morgan County | — | — | — | — | 63 | — | — | — | |
| Vermilion County | — | — | — | — | 63 | ▼ 25.9% | — | — | |
| Fulton County | — | — | — | — | 51 | ▲ 54.5% | — | — | |
| Moultrie County | — | — | — | — | 49 | ▲ 44.1% | — | — | |
| Franklin County | — | — | — | — | 32 | ▼ 25.6% | — | — | |
| Monroe County | — | — | — | — | 30 | ▼ 66.7% | — | — | |
| Randolph County | — | — | — | — | 20 | ▼ 64.9% | — | — | |
| Ford County | — | — | — | — | 14 | ▲ 40.0% | — | — | |
| De Witt County | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | |
| Edgar County | — | — | — | — | 11 | ▲ 37.5% | — | — | |
| Warren County | — | — | — | — | 10 | ▲ 25.0% | — | — | |
| Lawrence County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — |
Every county in Illinois 102
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 59
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Cook County | 53 | 1 (0 in force) | 1 | Proposed 12-month pause on new data centers Proposed | |
| Elk Grove Village | Cook County | 45 | — | — | — | |
| Aurora | Kane County + DuPage County + Will County | 20 | 1 (0 in force) | — | Expired local moratorium on data centers through March 24, 2026 Failed / vetoed | |
| Northlake | Cook County | 8 | — | — | — | |
| Itasca | DuPage County | 7 | — | — | — | |
| DeKalb | DeKalb County | 5 | — | 1 | Project Vector / Endeavour Energy DeKalb Data Center | |
| Franklin Park | Cook County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Mount Prospect | Cook County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Oak Brook | DuPage County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| West Chicago | DuPage County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Hoffman Estates | Cook County | 3 | — | 1 | Karis Critical Hoffman Estates | |
| Yorkville | Kendall County | 3 | — | 1 | Meyer Property Data Center | |
| Lombard | DuPage County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Rantoul | Champaign County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Rochelle | Ogle County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Wood Dale | DuPage County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Lisle | DuPage County | 2 | — | 1 | Cloud Centers Lisle | |
| Arlington Heights | Cook County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Champaign | Champaign County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Decatur | Macon County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Des Plaines | Cook County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Downers Grove | DuPage County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Peoria | Peoria County | 1 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Request to Concur with the Pl In force | |
| Naperville | DuPage County + Will County | 1 | — | 1 | Karis Data Center (Nokia/Lucent Campus) | |
| Alsip | Cook County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Argonne | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Bannockburn | Lake County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Brimfield | Peoria County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Broadview | Cook County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Carol Stream | DuPage County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Glendale Heights | DuPage County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Grayslake | Lake County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Joliet | Will County + Kendall County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Metropolis | Massac County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Oneida | Knox County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Riverdale | Cook County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Vernon Hills | Lake County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Viola | Mercer County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Volo | Lake County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Westmont | DuPage County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Town of Normal | McLean County | — | 2 (2 in force) | — | Six-month data center moratorium In force | |
| Bourbonnais | Kankakee County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Village moratorium on data centers through January 31, 2027 In force | |
| City of Bloomington | McLean County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month data center moratorium In force | |
| City of Carbondale | Jackson County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year data center moratorium In force | |
| City of Effingham | Effingham County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 12-month data center and crypto moratorium In force | |
| City of Galesburg | Knox County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 180-day data center moratorium In force | |
| City of West Chicago | DuPage County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 180-day moratorium (Ordinance 26-O-0011) In force | |
| Evanston | Cook County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed one-year citywide data center moratorium Proposed | |
| Mattoon | Coles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Moratorium on large-scale data center development In force | |
| Ottawa | LaSalle County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through August 25, 2027 In force | |
| Plainfield | Will County + Kendall County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Plainfield data center moratorium In force | |
| Rockford | Winnebago County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through February 3, 2027 In force | |
| Troy | Madison County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Troy data center moratorium In force | |
| Village of Godfrey | Madison County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Data center application moratorium In force | |
| Windy City | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Chicago proposes 12-month moratorium on data center construction Proposed | |
| Aurora, Kane | Kane County + DuPage County + Will County | — | — | 1 | Aurora Data Center and Warehouse Moratorium | |
| Barrington Hills | Cook County + McHenry County + Lake County | — | — | 1 | Brennan Investment Group Barrington Hills | |
| Illinois | — | — | — | 1 | POWER Act (SB4016) + Tax Pause | |
| Pekin | Tazewell County | — | — | 1 | Western Hospitality Partners Pekin |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Illinois, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- 2028/29 BRA cleared capacity
- 138,318 MW UCAP
- 2028/29 BRA RTO clearing price
- 325 $/MW-day
- 2026/27 BRA RTO clearing price
- 329.17 $/MW-day
- 2025/26 BRA RTO clearing price
- 269.92 $/MW-day
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 52.8 GW
- Planned, all types
- 7,823 MW
- Under construction or built
- 2,900 MW
- Planned gas
- 1,285 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 3,196 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- -296 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 212
- Operators
- 70
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 4
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -0.7%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 2.1%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.7% (+0.4 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +10.2%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -2.3%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +3.9%
- Electrician median pay
- $99,560
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.89×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 19.22¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +10.7%
- All-sector price change
- +7.8%
- Total retail sales change
- -1.4%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 4
- Local measures (in force)
- 28 (21)
- Watchlist projects
- 16
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $38.5B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in Illinois
Every planned generator in Illinois in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 133 | 4,012 MW | 1,542 MW |
| Wind | 7 | 2,342 MW | 1,346 MW |
| Natural gas | 4 | 1,285 MW | — |
| Battery storage | 4 | 160 MW | 0 MW |
| Other | 15 | 23 MW | 13 MW |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Creek Solar Phase 1 | Lee | Solar Photovoltaic | 1,200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | TerraForm Power Operating, LLC |
| Lincoln Land Energy Center | Sangamon | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 638 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC |
| Lincoln Land Energy Center | Sangamon | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 638 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC |
| Illinois Generation LLC | Livingston | Onshore Wind Turbine | 616 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Pattern Operators LP |
| Panther Grove 2 | Livingston | Onshore Wind Turbine | 472 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Panther Grove 2 LLC |
| Panther Grove Wind, LLC | Woodford | Onshore Wind Turbine | 423 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Panther Grove Wind, LLC |
| Pulaski Solar | Pulaski | Solar Photovoltaic | 417 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Joppa BESS LLC |
| Coles Wind | Coles | Onshore Wind Turbine | 300 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Coles Wind, LLC |
| Heritage Prairie Solar LLC | Kankakee | Solar Photovoltaic | 300 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Pattern Operators LP |
| Prairie Oak Solar | Shelby | Solar Photovoltaic | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Strata Clean Energy |
| Pike Creek Wind | Logan | Onshore Wind Turbine | 202 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Repsol Renewables NA |
| Old Town Wind | Marshall | Onshore Wind Turbine | 178 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Old Town Wind LLC |
| Allen Acres Solar | LaSalle | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Avangrid Power LLC |
| Bee Hollow Solar, LLC | St Clair | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Geronimo Power |
| Casey Fork Solar, LLC | Jefferson | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RWE Clean Energy |
What the Illinois build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Illinois, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC | 2 | 1,277 MW | — | Natural gas | 1 |
| TerraForm Power Operating, LLC | 1 | 1,200 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Pattern Operators LP | 2 | 916 MW | — | Wind | 2 |
| Panther Grove 2 LLC | 1 | 472 MW | 472 MW | Wind | 1 |
| Panther Grove Wind, LLC | 1 | 423 MW | 423 MW | Wind | 1 |
| Joppa BESS LLC | 1 | 417 MW | 417 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Strata Clean Energy | 2 | 390 MW | — | Solar | 2 |
| Vesper Energy Development LLC | 2 | 300 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| Avangrid Power LLC | 2 | 300 MW | 150 MW | Wind | 1 |
| Coles Wind, LLC | 1 | 300 MW | 300 MW | Wind | 1 |
| Repsol Renewables NA | 1 | 202 MW | — | Wind | 1 |
| Old Town Wind LLC | 1 | 178 MW | — | Wind | 1 |
| Geronimo Power | 1 | 150 MW | 150 MW | Solar | 1 |
| RWE Clean Energy | 1 | 150 MW | 150 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Birch Creek Development | 3 | 126 MW | 126 MW | Solar | 3 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Illinois footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names Illinois. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check derived
13 of the 14 planned units of 50 MW or more in Illinois that are not yet under construction (3,634 of 4,834 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date, and 2 gas units are (1,277 MW) past the turbine order date as well. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Land Energy Center | Natural gas | 638 MW | Jun 2030 | May 2027 | Jun 2025 | Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC |
| Lincoln Land Energy Center | Natural gas | 638 MW | Jun 2030 | May 2027 | Jun 2025 | Lincoln Land Energy Center LLC |
| Illinois Generation LLC | Wind | 616 MW | Apr 2028 | Mar 2025 | — | Pattern Operators LP |
| Heritage Prairie Solar LLC | Solar | 300 MW | Sep 2028 | Aug 2025 | — | Pattern Operators LP |
| Prairie Oak Solar | Solar | 250 MW | Sep 2027 | Aug 2024 | — | Strata Clean Energy |
| Pike Creek Wind | Wind | 202 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Repsol Renewables NA |
| Old Town Wind | Wind | 178 MW | Oct 2029 | Sep 2026 | — | Old Town Wind LLC |
| Meadow Springs Renewable Energy (Hybrid) | Battery storage | 150 MW | Jun 2028 | May 2025 | — | Vesper Energy Development LLC |
| Meadow Springs Renewable Energy (Hybrid) | Solar | 150 MW | Jun 2028 | May 2025 | — | Vesper Energy Development LLC |
| Allen Acres Solar | Solar | 150 MW | May 2029 | Apr 2026 | — | Avangrid Power LLC |
| Austin Creek Solar | Solar | 140 MW | Sep 2027 | Aug 2024 | — | Strata Clean Energy |
| Flora Solar | Solar | 125 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Flora Solar, LLC |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Illinois
212 data centers run by 70 operators are identified in Illinois. The full list by city is on the Illinois Data Center Map page. Utilities report 4 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ComEd (Exelon) | Equinix | 700 MW | — | |
| ComEd (Exelon) | Compass Datacenters | — | $10 billion | |
| ComEd (Exelon) | Stream Data Centers | 260 MW | — | |
| ComEd (Exelon) | Tract | 1,000 MW | — |
The Illinois jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 6,175.6k | ▲ 0.2% | ▲ 0.7% (+43.9k) |
| Construction | 254.1k | ▲ 5.6% | ▲ 10.2% (+23.6k) |
| Manufacturing | 571.4k | ▲ 0.6% | ▼ 2.3% (-13.6k) |
| Mining and logging | 7.3k | ▲ 5.8% | ▼ 11.0% (-0.9k) |
| Retail trade | 561.7k | ▼ 1.0% | ▼ 2.7% (-15.8k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 10,977 | 16,892 | ▲ 53.9% | $208,615 |
| Electrical contractors | 28,863 | 30,002 | ▲ 3.9% | $101,425 |
| Power and communication line construction | 7,315 | 7,096 | ▼ 3.0% | $118,034 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 19,265 | — | $163,831 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 768 | — | $91,734 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 139,630 | $34,490 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 127,590 | $33,910 | 0.98× |
| Retail salespersons | 126,610 | $35,370 | 1.03× |
| All occupations | 6,098,130 | $51,960 | 1.51× |
| Construction laborers | 35,940 | $60,690 | 1.76× |
| Welders | 16,260 | $51,320 | 1.49× |
| HVAC mechanics | 9,740 | $77,410 | 2.24× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 16,750 | $99,950 | 2.90× |
| Electricians | 23,120 | $99,560 | 2.89× |
| Power plant operators | 1,160 | $104,440 | 3.03× |
| Power-line installers | 3,090 | $108,120 | 3.13× |
| Construction supervisors | 19,340 | $105,750 | 3.07× |
| Electrical engineers | 5,460 | $107,860 | 3.13× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Illinois
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
State studies and incentive costs
| Economic study findings | Disclosed tax-incentive cost | |
|---|---|---|
| ILEPI/University of Illinois (Oct 2026): $16B construction 2020–24; $57B planned; >120,000 jobs over a decade (39,000 construction, 3,000 permanent); ~$300M/yr property tax; DeKalb site >$30M/yr property tax | $370.6M (2023); sales tax exemption suspended in 2026 |
The rules and the pipeline in Illinois
State measures 4
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive directive | Pause on new data center tax incentives | Paused | 2026-07 | |
| Illinois (statewide) | Illinois: Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a two-year suspension of state tax incentives for new data centers, effective July 1, 2026. | In force | 2026-06 | |
| SB 4016 / HB 5513 | Hyperscale self-generation and water transparency | Proposed | 2026-02 | |
| SB 4004 | Illinois: In Illinois, SB 4004 would permanently ban data centers from using Mahomet Aquifer groundwater, The sole-source drinking water for ~1 million people | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 |
Delay Watchlist projects 16
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T5 @ Chicago IV (Grayslake) | Grayslake, Lake County | active litigation | 1,550 MW | ||
| Cloud Centers Lisle | Lisle | cancelled | 50 MW | ||
| South Elgin Data Center (Whiterose Partners / Kenyon Brothers) | South Elgin, Kane County | opposed effectively stalled | 48 MW | ||
| Karis Data Center (Nokia/Lucent Campus) | Naperville | denied | 36 MW | ||
| T5 @ Chicago IV | Lake County / Grayslake | litigation active | — | ||
| Project Vector / Endeavour Energy DeKalb Data Center | DeKalb | opposed pending council vote | — | ||
| Aurora Data Center and Warehouse Moratorium | Aurora, Kane/DuPage Counties | moratorium in force | — | ||
| Project Cardinal (Yorkville) | Yorkville, Kendall County | active litigation | — | ||
| Project Steel (Yorkville, Eldamain Corridor) | Yorkville, Kendall County | active litigation | — | ||
| Meyer Project / Yorkville Nexus V LLC Rezoning (withdrawn) | Yorkville, Kendall County | withdrawn | — | ||
| POWER Act (SB4016) + Tax Pause | Illinois (statewide) | cancelled | — | ||
| Chicago | Chicago | paused | — | ||
| Brennan Investment Group Barrington Hills | Barrington Hills | cancelled | — | ||
| Western Hospitality Partners Pekin | Pekin | denied | — | ||
| Meyer Property Data Center | Yorkville | cancelled | — | ||
| Karis Critical Hoffman Estates | Hoffman Estates | cancelled | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (28) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Illinois Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Illinois's neighbors
Illinois power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Illinois?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 7,823 MW of planned generators in Illinois, 2,900 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is solar 51%, wind 30%, natural gas 16%. The largest single unit is Steward Creek Solar Phase 1 (1,200 MW, TerraForm Power Operating, LLC). Owners plan to retire 3,196 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Illinois?
PJM serves most of Illinois as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Which data center projects are delayed in Illinois?
The SAVRN Delay Watchlist names 16 projects in Illinois, among them T5 @ Chicago IV (Grayslake) (1,550 MW), Cloud Centers Lisle (50 MW), South Elgin Data Center (Whiterose Partners / Kenyon Brothers) (48 MW).
Is planned generation in Illinois on schedule?
13 of 14 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date, and 2 gas units are past the turbine order date (about five years). They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Are electricity prices rising in Illinois?
Residential electricity averaged 19.22¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +10.7% on a year earlier, the 12th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -0.7%.
What do electricians earn in Illinois?
The median electrician in Illinois earned $99,560 in May 2025, 2.89 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $108,120 (BLS OEWS).
How much do data centers add to the Illinois economy?
PwC's 2026 study for the Data Center Coalition credits the industry with 147,230 in-state jobs, $25.1B of GDP (2.1% of the state economy, 20th of 51) and $2.6B in state and local taxes in 2024. These are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
Does Illinois have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 4 state-level measures (1 enacted) and 28 local moratoria or restrictions in Illinois, 21 of them in force, 16th most in the country.
Illinois across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.