Clay County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Harter Township, Flora and Louisville Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Clay County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Clay County is home to Harter Township, Flora, Louisville Township and Louisville. 127 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Flora Solar, LLC (solar). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 4,691 jobs in 2025, down 9.9% from 2019. 252 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Harter Township, Flora, Louisville Township and Louisville.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,271 | 12,793 | ▼ 3.6% | 80th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,205 | 4,691 | ▼ 9.9% | 93rd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,768 | $52,006 | ▲ 37.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 55 | 61 | ▲ 10.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 3.6% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 252 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 127 MW | 17% of today's fleet | 17th of 57 by size |
Its power plants have 726 MW of capacity, 63% of it natural gas. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 12,793 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +252 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
| Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,822 | 13.68¢ | 17% |
| Norris Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,074 | 15.08¢ | 26% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,197 | 16.04¢ | 9% |
| Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,957 | 16.58¢ | 21% |
| Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Flora - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 456 MW | 63% |
| Solar | 252 MW | 35% |
| Petroleum | 18 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon Creek Energy Center | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Natural gas | 456 MW | 2002 |
| Maple Flats | Invenergy Services LLC | Solar | 250 MW | 2024 |
| IMEA Flora | Illinois Municipal Elec Agency (IL) | Petroleum | 9 MW | 2000 |
| Flora Site A | City of Flora - (IL) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2001 |
| Flora Site B | City of Flora - (IL) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2001 |
| Clay FC | Clay FC, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flora Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 125 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Flora Solar, LLC |
| CF IL Solar Marigold Lane, Flora2 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,691 | $52,006 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 61 | $57,067 | 0.25 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clay County, Fayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 12,793 | ▼ 9.9% | 726 MW | 127 MW | — | — |
| Effingham County | 34,519 | ▲ 5.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 20,790 | ▼ 9.7% | 101 MW | 119 MW | — | — |
| Jasper County | 9,032 | ▲ 5.2% | 671 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 36,382 | ▼ 4.3% | 372 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 15,219 | ▼ 1.7% | 2 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Wayne County | 15,882 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Illinois?
7 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL), Norris Electric Coop, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clay County?
6 operating plants with 726 MW of capacity. The largest is Raccoon Creek Energy Center (456 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Clay County?
127 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Flora Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,691 jobs in 2025 against 5,205 in 2019 (-9.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 55 to 61.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.