Coles County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Charleston Township, Charleston and Mattoon
New generation is lining up in Coles County. Coles County is home to Charleston Township, Charleston, Mattoon and Mattoon Township. 300 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Coles Wind, LLC (wind), the 9th largest pipeline among Illinois's counties. 300 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 138, up 36.6% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $81,390 a year. 301 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 743, down 7.5% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Coles County
Coles County is home to Charleston Township, Charleston, Mattoon and Mattoon Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Janesville, Trilla.
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 Coles County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 47,087 | 46,607 | ▼ 1.0% | 31st of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,584 | 23,624 | ▲ 0.2% | 47th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,930 | $56,336 | ▲ 41.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 803 | 743 | ▼ 7.5% | 52nd of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 101 | 138 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 301 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 300 MW | 100% of today's fleet | 9th of 57 by size |
Its power plants have 301 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Coles County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 23,624 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 46,607 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Coles County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +301 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Coles 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% |
| Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,456 | 17.14¢ | 25% |
| Enerstar Power Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 301 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Wolf Solar LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 200 MW | 2021 |
| Cooks Mill PV I | Cooks Mill PV I, LLC | Solar | 99 MW | 2026 |
| Triple S Solar I LLC CSG | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coles Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 300 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Coles Wind, LLC |
The Coles County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,624 | $56,336 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 743 | $68,881 | 0.59 |
| Electrical contractors | 138 | $81,390 | 0.81 |
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 Coles County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Coles County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Coles County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Coles County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coles County | 46,607 | ▲ 0.2% | 301 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 15,114 | ▼ 6.5% | 189 MW | — | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 10,208 | ▲ 1.3% | 274 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 19,880 | ▲ 1.3% | 204 MW | — | — | — |
| Edgar County | 16,323 | ▲ 4.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Moultrie County | 14,371 | ▼ 1.0% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 20,576 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,185 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Coles County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Coles County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Coles County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop, Enerstar Power Corp. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Charleston Township, IL in?
Charleston Township is in Coles County, Illinois. About 19,485 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Charleston, IL in?
Charleston is in Coles County, Illinois. About 17,466 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mattoon, IL in?
Mattoon is in Coles County, Illinois. About 16,667 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Coles County?
3 operating plants with 301 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Wolf Solar LLC (200 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Coles County?
300 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 300 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Coles Wind, LLC.
Are there data centers in Coles County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Coles County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is Coles County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,624 jobs in 2025 against 23,584 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 803 to 743.
Does Coles County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Coles County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.