Clinton County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sugar Creek Township, Looking Glass Township and Breese Township
New generation is lining up in Clinton County. Clinton County is home to Sugar Creek Township, Looking Glass Township, Breese Township and Breese. 53 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Birch Creek Development (solar). 53 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 1,031, up 6.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 21 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 47 MW of capacity, 62% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Clinton County
Clinton County is home to Sugar Creek Township, Looking Glass Township, Breese Township and Breese.
And 7 smaller places.
- New Baden also extends into St. Clair County.
- Centralia also extends into Marion County.
- Wamac also extends into Marion County, Washington County.
- Keyesport also extends into Bond County.
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 Clinton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,915 | 37,128 | ▲ 0.6% | 35th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,400 | 12,725 | ▲ 2.6% | 33rd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,979 | $53,836 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 972 | 1,031 | ▲ 6.1% | 34th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.7% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 21 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 53 MW | 111% of today's fleet | 21st of 57 by size |
Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Employers here counted 12,725 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Clinton County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 37,128 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Clinton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +21 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clinton 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% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,197 | 16.04¢ | 9% |
| City of Breese - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Carlyle - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clinton County Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Highland | — | — | — | — | — |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 29 MW | 62% |
| Solar | 18 MW | 38% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breese | City of Breese - (IL) | Petroleum | 17 MW | 1953 |
| Carlyle | City of Carlyle - (IL) | Petroleum | 12 MW | 1964 |
| Clinton Solar 2 | Pivot Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Clinton Solar 2b | Pivot Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Clinton Solar 4 LLC CSG | Clinton Solar 4 LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Clinton Solar 4b | Pivot Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 50 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Birch Creek Development |
| Clinton Solar 5 | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
The Clinton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,725 | $53,836 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,031 | $74,567 | 1.53 |
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 Clinton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clinton County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Clinton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clinton County, St. Clair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County | 37,128 | ▲ 2.6% | 47 MW | 53 MW | — | — |
| Bond County | 16,959 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 5 MW | — | — |
| Fayette County | 20,790 | ▼ 9.7% | 101 MW | 119 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 263,110 | ▲ 5.9% | 701 MW | 8 MW | — | — |
| Marion County | 36,382 | ▼ 4.3% | 372 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Clair County | 250,708 | ▼ 3.2% | 1,821 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 13,564 | ▼ 6.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Clinton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clinton County, Illinois?
7 utilities have service territory in Clinton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL), Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL), City of Breese - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clinton County?
11 operating plants with 47 MW of capacity. The largest is Breese (17 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Clinton County?
53 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 53 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Birch Creek Development.
Are there data centers in Clinton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clinton County.
Is Clinton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,725 jobs in 2025 against 12,400 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 972 to 1,031.
Does Clinton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clinton County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.