Christian County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Taylorville Township, Taylorville and Pana Township
Christian County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Christian County is home to Taylorville Township, Taylorville, Pana Township and most of Pana (4,907 of its 5,010 residents). Owners plan to retire 1,319 MW more by 2035, led by Kincaid Generation LLC in 2027. Next door, Sangamon County has 1,279 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,330 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal. Employers here counted 9,275 jobs in 2025, down 8.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Christian County
Christian County is home to Taylorville Township, Taylorville, Pana Township and most of Pana (4,907 of its 5,010 residents).
And 7 smaller places.
- Pana also extends into Shelby County.
- Harvel also extends into Montgomery County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Langleyville.
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 Christian County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,960 | 33,443 | ▼ 1.5% | 42nd of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,112 | 9,275 | ▼ 8.3% | 88th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,709 | $52,300 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 318 | 333 | ▲ 4.7% | 36th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 333, up 4.7% since 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Christian County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 33,443 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Christian County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Christian 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% |
| Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,871 | 18.63¢ | 11% |
| Rural Electric Conven Coop - (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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,319 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 8 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kincaid Generation LLC | Dynegy Kincaid Generation | Coal | 1,319 MW | 1967 |
| Skyline | SunStrong Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Five Oaks Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2008 |
| The GSI Group LLC at Assumption | Luminace Solar Illinois 2, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| SAE Taylorville IL S1 | SolAmerica Energy, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kincaid Generation LLC | Coal | 1,319 MW | 2027 |
The Christian County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,275 | $52,300 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 333 | $61,091 | 0.68 |
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 Christian County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Christian County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Macon County.
Christian County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Christian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian County | 33,443 | ▼ 8.3% | 1,330 MW | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 99,300 | ▼ 6.4% | 422 MW | 2 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 28,076 | ▲ 0.8% | 56 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Sangamon County | 194,170 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,313 MW | 1,279 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County | 20,576 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,185 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Christian County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Christian County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Christian County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL), Rural Electric Conven Coop - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Taylorville Township, IL in?
Taylorville Township is in Christian County, Illinois. About 11,358 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Taylorville, IL in?
Taylorville is in Christian County, Illinois. About 10,522 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Christian County?
5 operating plants with 1,330 MW of capacity. The largest is Kincaid Generation LLC (1,319 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Christian County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Christian County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sangamon County.
Is Christian County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,275 jobs in 2025 against 10,112 in 2019 (-8.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 318 to 333.
Does Christian County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Christian County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.