Cass County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Beardstown Township, Beardstown and Virginia Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cass County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cass County is home to Beardstown Township, Beardstown, Virginia Township and Virginia. Employers here counted 4,595 jobs in 2025, down 17.8% from 2019. Next door, Sangamon County has 1,279 MW of planned generation. 156 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 156 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Cass County
Cass County is home to Beardstown Township, Beardstown, Virginia Township and Virginia.
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 Cass County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,978 | 12,463 | ▼ 4.0% | 81st of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,589 | 4,595 | ▼ 17.8% | 98th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,309 | $55,532 | ▲ 45.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 156 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Cass County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 12,463 people live here, down 4.0% since 2020.
Who powers Cass County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +156 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cass County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameren Illinois Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,060,894 | 15.26¢ | 28% |
| Menard Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,048 | 18.05¢ | 18% |
| Illinois Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 156 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County Renewable Energy Center | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Solar | 150 MW | 2024 |
| USS Beard Solar | USS Beard Solar LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
| USS Clear Creek Solar | SRC Partnership 15 LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
The Cass County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,595 | $55,532 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 167 | $54,960 | 0.69 |
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 Cass County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cass County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Cass County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cass County, Sangamon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 12,463 | ▼ 17.8% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 6,401 | ▲ 10.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Mason County | 12,411 | ▼ 6.2% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Menard County | 11,863 | ▲ 9.9% | — | 3 MW | — | — |
| Morgan County | 32,515 | ▲ 0.1% | 183 MW | — | — | — |
| Sangamon County | 194,170 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,313 MW | 1,279 MW | — | — |
| Schuyler County | 6,657 | ▲ 11.9% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Cass County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cass County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Cass County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Menard Electric Coop, Illinois Rural Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cass County?
3 operating plants with 156 MW of capacity. The largest is Cass County Renewable Energy Center (150 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Cass County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cass County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sangamon County.
Is Cass County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,595 jobs in 2025 against 5,589 in 2019 (-17.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cass County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cass County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.