Champaign County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Champaign, Urbana and Mahomet Township
Champaign County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Champaign County. Champaign County is home to Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet Township and Rantoul. Electrical contractors employ 407, up 62.2% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $86,041 a year. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center moratorium”. 8 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Generate Capital (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Champaign County
Champaign County is home to Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet Township and Rantoul.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dewey, Lake of the Woods, Penfield, Seymour.
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 Champaign County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 206,222 | 209,972 | ▲ 1.8% | 10th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91,473 | 95,049 | ▲ 3.9% | 29th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,349 | $65,778 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,384 | 3,665 | ▲ 8.3% | 30th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 251 | 407 | ▲ 62.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 315 | 321 | ▲ 1.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 169 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 8 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 39th of 57 by size |
Construction employs 3,665, up 8.3% since 2019. 169 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 272 MW of capacity, 65% of it solar. Employers here counted 95,049 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Champaign County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 209,972 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020, 10th of 102 Illinois counties by population.
Who powers Champaign County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +169 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Champaign 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% |
| Corn Belt Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,710 | 15.76¢ | 28% |
| Eastern Illinois Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,115 | 17.10¢ | 22% |
| Village of Rantoul - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| University of Illinois | — | — | — | — | — |
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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 176 MW | 65% |
| Natural gas | 81 MW | 30% |
| Petroleum | 14 MW | 5% |
| Battery storage | 0 MW | 0% |
| Wind | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Solar LLC | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 135 MW | 2026 |
| University of Illinois Abbott Power Plt | University of Illinois | Natural gas | 80 MW | 1940 |
| Rantoul | Village of Rantoul - (IL) | Petroleum | 14 MW | 2000 |
| Northern Cardinal Solar SCS IL 1, LLC | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 10 MW | 2021 |
| Medanos Solar LLC | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Phoenix Solar South Farms LLC Solar Farm | Phoenix Solar South Farms LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SV CSG Mahomet | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | SV CSG Mahomet, LLC |
| Bonacci 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Generate Capital |
| Bonacci 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Generate Capital |
The Champaign County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 95,049 | $65,778 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,665 | $79,866 | 0.73 |
| Electrical contractors | 407 | $86,041 | 0.59 |
| Data processing and hosting | 321 | $145,673 | 1.09 |
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 Champaign County
5 data centers in Champaign County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-04 |
Champaign County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Champaign County, Piatt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign County | 209,972 | ▲ 3.9% | 272 MW | 8 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Douglas County | 19,880 | ▲ 1.3% | 204 MW | — | — | — |
| Edgar County | 16,323 | ▲ 4.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Ford County | 13,216 | ▲ 16.9% | 867 MW | — | — | — |
| McLean County | 171,419 | ▲ 5.8% | 796 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Piatt County | 16,791 | ▲ 5.0% | 988 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Vermilion County | 71,259 | ▼ 3.9% | 521 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Champaign County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Champaign County, Illinois?
5 utilities have service territory in Champaign County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation, Eastern Illinois Elec Coop, Village of Rantoul - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Champaign, IL in?
Champaign is in Champaign County, Illinois. About 91,195 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Urbana, IL in?
Urbana is in Champaign County, Illinois. About 39,719 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mahomet Township, IL in?
Mahomet Township is in Champaign County, Illinois. About 14,687 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Champaign County?
17 operating plants with 272 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Solar LLC (135 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Champaign County?
8 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Generate Capital.
Are there data centers in Champaign County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Champaign County.
Is Champaign County adding jobs?
Employers counted 95,049 jobs in 2025 against 91,473 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,384 to 3,665.
Does Champaign County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Champaign County, 1 in force.