Bureau County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Princeton Township, Hall Township and Princeton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bureau County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bureau County is home to Princeton Township, Hall Township, Princeton and Spring Valley. 16 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Generate Capital (solar). 16 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 10,021 jobs in 2025, down 13.9% from 2019. Next door, Lee County has 1,200 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 467, up 14.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Bureau County
Bureau County is home to Princeton Township, Hall Township, Princeton and Spring Valley.
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 Bureau County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,215 | 32,510 | ▼ 2.1% | 46th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,640 | 10,021 | ▼ 13.9% | 95th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,519 | $56,387 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 407 | 467 | ▲ 14.7% | 23rd of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42 | 42 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 129 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 16 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 32nd of 57 by size |
129 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 752 MW of capacity, 88% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 42, unchanged since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $52,547 a year. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Bureau County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 32,510 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Bureau County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +129 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bureau County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 3,727,675 | 15.22¢ | 27% |
| Ameren Illinois Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,060,894 | 15.26¢ | 28% |
| Corn Belt Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,710 | 15.76¢ | 28% |
| City of Princeton - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Ladd - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 15
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 664 MW | 88% |
| Solar | 50 MW | 7% |
| Natural gas | 38 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky Wind LLC | Big Sky Wind LLC | Wind | 239 MW | 2011 |
| Walnut Ridge Wind Farm | BHE Renewables, LLC | Wind | 212 MW | 2018 |
| Lone Tree Wind, LLC | Leeward Asset Management, LLC | Wind | 79 MW | 2020 |
| Providence Heights Wind LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 72 MW | 2008 |
| Crescent Ridge | Leeward Asset Management, LLC | Wind | 53 MW | 2005 |
| Princeton (IL) | City of Princeton - (IL) | Natural gas | 38 MW | 1953 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Solar 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Generate Capital |
| Arlington 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Generate Capital |
| Arlington 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Generate Capital |
| Bureau Solar 2 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
The Bureau County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,021 | $56,387 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 467 | $80,960 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 42 | $52,547 | 0.58 |
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 Bureau County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bureau County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Bureau County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bureau County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau County | 32,510 | ▼ 13.9% | 752 MW | 16 MW | — | — |
| Henry County | 48,095 | ▼ 1.7% | 551 MW | 8 MW | — | — |
| LaSalle County | 107,773 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,824 MW | 322 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 32,914 | ▼ 3.0% | 2,285 MW | 1,200 MW | — | — |
| Marshall County | 11,473 | ▲ 1.3% | 146 MW | 178 MW | — | — |
| Putnam County | 5,619 | ▲ 6.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Stark County | 5,319 | ▲ 19.5% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
| Whiteside County | 54,121 | ▼ 5.0% | 64 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Bureau County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bureau County, Illinois?
5 utilities have service territory in Bureau County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation, City of Princeton - (IL). The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bureau County?
15 operating plants with 752 MW of capacity. The largest is Big Sky Wind LLC (239 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Bureau County?
16 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 16 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Generate Capital.
Are there data centers in Bureau County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bureau County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lee County.
Is Bureau County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,021 jobs in 2025 against 11,640 in 2019 (-13.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 407 to 467.
Does Bureau County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bureau County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.