# Cook County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Home to Chicago, Wheeling Township and Thornton Township

Cook County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 122 data centers in Cook County, 58% of Illinois's total. Cook County is home to Chicago, Wheeling Township, Thornton Township and Worth Township. 35 MW of new generation is planned here across 16 units, led by Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated (solar). 27 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 419 MW has retired here since 2019, including Southeast Chicago Energy Project (natural gas, 407 MW, 2024).

122
data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map, 58% of Illinois's

35 MW
of new generation planned here, solar leading

419 MW
of generating capacity retired since 2019

## Cities and towns in Cook County

Cook County is home to Chicago, Wheeling Township, Thornton Township and Worth Township.

Chicago2,731,585 residents
Wheeling Township154,050 residents
Thornton Township152,667 residents
Worth Township148,514 residents
Proviso Township147,144 residents
Maine Township136,611 residents
Schaumburg Township131,411 residents
Lyons Township112,345 residents
Palatine Township111,179 residents
Niles Township109,978 residents
Bremen Township104,303 residents
Hanover Township97,956 residents
Orland Township96,641 residents
Elk Grove Township93,072 residents
Leyden Township90,402 residents
Northfield Township89,835 residents
Bloom Township83,631 residents
Cicero81,858 residents
Schaumburg77,249 residents
Evanston76,380 residents
Arlington Heights76,216 residents
Rich Township74,003 residents
Skokie66,544 residents
Palatine65,842 residents

And 16 smaller places.
- Tinley Park also extends into [Will County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/will-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 Cook County

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,263,651 | 5,194,625 | ▼ 1.3% | 1st of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,609,154 | 2,594,810 | ▼ 0.5% | 52nd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $69,171 | $90,477 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 76,574 | 75,404 | ▼ 1.5% | 45th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,599 | 10,944 | ▼ 5.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 526 | 561 | ▲ 6.7% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,812 | 2,950 | ▲ 4.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,960 | 9,784 | ▲ 40.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.9% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 40 MW |  | — |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 419 MW |  | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 35 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 24th of 57 by size |

Its power plants have 1,364 MW of capacity, 76% of it natural gas, the 10th largest fleet in Illinois. 40 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 75,404, down 1.5% since 2019. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Cook County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. Electrical contractors employ 10,944, down 5.6% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $107,246 a year. Employers here counted 2,594,810 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 5,194,625 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020, 1st of 102 Illinois counties by population.

## Who powers Cook County

### Utilities with service territory in Cook County

| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 3,727,675 | 15.22¢ | 27% |
| University of Illinois | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Winnetka - (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 

| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,034 MW | 76% |
| Petroleum | 275 MW | 20% |
| Solar | 47 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 9 MW | 1% |

| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRP Elgin LLC | Lincoln Operating Services, LLC | Natural gas | 540 MW | 2002 |
| Calumet Energy Team LLC | IPA Operations Inc - Calumet | Natural gas | 313 MW | 2002 |
| Fisk Street | Midwest Generations EME LLC | Petroleum | 260 MW | 1968 |
| University of Illinois Cogen Facility | University of Illinois | Natural gas | 60 MW | 1993 |
| Ingredion Incorporated | Ingredion Inc - Illinois | Natural gas | 55 MW | 1991 |
| Winnetka | Village of Winnetka - (IL) | Natural gas | 33 MW | 1948 |

### Planned generation 

| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITT Cogen Facility | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 4 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | ITT Energy Tech Partners, LLC |
| ITT Cogen Facility | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 4 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | ITT Energy Tech Partners, LLC |
| Copenhagen Ct | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | 11601 Copenhagen Ct, LLC |
| Melrose Park 2-SLCHI547 | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Northlake 5-SLCHI305 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Steger | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Steger Road Solar 1 LLC |
| McCook 2-SLCHI102 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Cicero 3-SLCHI603 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Elk Grove 1-SLCHI701 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Bensenville Ind Park 4-SLCHI424 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Northlake 3-SLCHI303 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Des Plaines 11-SLCHI211 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Northlake 2-SLCHI302 | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| W 167th St | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | 555 W 167th St Solar, LLC |
| Northlake 4-SLCHI304 | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Franklin Park 2-SLCHI802 | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |

### Retired since 2019

| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Chicago Energy Project | Natural gas | 407 MW | 2024 |
| ITT Cogen Facility | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2024 |
| Presence Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2025 |
| Saint Francis Hospital | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2022 |

## The Cook County labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,594,810 | $90,477 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 75,404 | $102,801 | 0.55 |
| Electrical contractors | 10,944 | $107,246 | 0.58 |
| Power and communication line construction | 561 | $126,081 | 0.13 |
| Electric utilities | 2,950 | $163,997 | 0.42 |
| Data processing and hosting | 9,784 | $225,199 | 1.21 |

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 Cook County

122 data centers in Cook County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.

## Cook County and its neighbors

Of the 6 counties that border Cook County, DuPage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 5,194,625 | ▼ 0.5% | 1,364 MW | 35 MW | 122 | — |
| DuPage County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/dupage-county) | 934,298 | ▲ 1.8% | 1,107 MW | 14 MW | 57 | — |
| Kane County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/kane-county) | 525,757 | ▲ 0.3% | 496 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Lake County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/lake-county) | 719,339 | ▼ 4.3% | 733 MW | 5 MW | 4 | 1 |
| Lake County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/indiana/lake-county) IN | 504,612 | ▲ 1.4% | 1,160 MW | 100 MW | 7 | — |
| McHenry County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/mchenry-county) | 317,751 | ▲ 0.8% | 89 MW | 17 MW | — | 1 |
| Will County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/will-county) | 712,253 | ▲ 7.8% | 6,936 MW | 17 MW | 1 | — |

## More of Illinois

[All Illinois countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois)[DuPage County934,298 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/dupage-county)[Lake County719,339 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/lake-county)[Will County712,253 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/will-county)[Kane County525,757 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/kane-county)[McHenry County317,751 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/mchenry-county)

## Cook County, answered from the record

### Who provides electricity in Cook County, Illinois?

3 utilities have service territory in Cook County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, University of Illinois, Village of Winnetka - (IL). The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.

### What county is Chicago, IL in?

Chicago is in Cook County, Illinois. About 2,731,585 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

### What county is Wheeling Township, IL in?

Wheeling Township is in Cook County, Illinois. About 154,050 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

### What county is Thornton Township, IL in?

Thornton Township is in Cook County, Illinois. About 152,667 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

### What power plants are in Cook County?

43 operating plants with 1,364 MW of capacity. The largest is MRP Elgin LLC (540 MW, natural gas).

### How much new power is planned in Cook County?

35 MW across 16 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 27 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated.

### Are there data centers in Cook County?

Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 122 data centers in Cook County.

### Is Cook County adding jobs?

Employers counted 2,594,810 jobs in 2025 against 2,609,154 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 76,574 to 75,404.

### Does Cook County have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for Cook County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/illinois/cook-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).