DeKalb County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to DeKalb Township, DeKalb and Sycamore
The data center boom is not abstract in DeKalb County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in DeKalb County. DeKalb County is home to DeKalb Township, DeKalb, Sycamore and Sycamore Township. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Leeward Asset Management, LLC (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. 68 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 245, up 7.0% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $87,379 a year.
Cities and towns in DeKalb County
DeKalb County is home to DeKalb Township, DeKalb, Sycamore and Sycamore Township.
And 9 smaller places.
- Sandwich also extends into Kendall County.
- Somonauk also extends into LaSalle County.
- Maple Park also extends into Kane County.
- Lee also extends into Lee 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 DeKalb County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 100,366 | 101,835 | ▲ 1.5% | 19th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37,020 | 36,506 | ▼ 1.4% | 57th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,627 | $59,423 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 229 | 245 | ▲ 7.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 68 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 33% of today's fleet | 20th of 57 by size |
Its power plants have 306 MW of capacity, 71% of it wind. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving DeKalb County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 36,506 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 101,835 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers DeKalb County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +68 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in DeKalb 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% |
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 31
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 218 MW | 71% |
| Solar | 68 MW | 22% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPL Energy Illinois Wind LLC Hybrid | FPL Energy Illinois Wind LLC | Battery storage | 238 MW | 2009 |
| NL IL Kane Rd CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| NL IL Bastian CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| DeKalb Taylor LLC | SunVest Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Boigenzahn Solar 1A, LLC | SRC Partnership 12, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Moore Solar 1A, LLC | SRC Partnership 12, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Maple LRE | Solar Photovoltaic | 95 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Leeward Asset Management, LLC |
| SV CSG Kingston Solar 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | SV CSG Kingston Solar 1, LLC |
The DeKalb County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 36,506 | $59,423 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 245 | $87,379 | 0.93 |
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 DeKalb County
5 data centers in DeKalb County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
DeKalb County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border DeKalb County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 101,835 | ▼ 1.4% | 306 MW | 100 MW | 5 | — |
| Boone County | 53,568 | ▼ 37.4% | 18 MW | 18 MW | — | — |
| Kane County | 525,757 | ▲ 0.3% | 496 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Kendall County | 145,470 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,266 MW | — | 3 | — |
| LaSalle County | 107,773 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,824 MW | 322 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 32,914 | ▼ 3.0% | 2,285 MW | 1,200 MW | — | — |
| McHenry County | 317,751 | ▲ 0.8% | 89 MW | 17 MW | — | 1 |
| Ogle County | 51,399 | ▼ 6.0% | 2,502 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Winnebago County | 283,674 | ▼ 0.3% | 520 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
DeKalb County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in DeKalb County, Illinois?
1 utility has service territory in DeKalb County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co. The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is DeKalb Township, IL in?
DeKalb Township is in DeKalb County, Illinois. About 42,904 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is DeKalb, IL in?
DeKalb is in DeKalb County, Illinois. About 40,467 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Sycamore, IL in?
Sycamore is in DeKalb County, Illinois. About 19,083 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in DeKalb County?
31 operating plants with 306 MW of capacity. The largest is FPL Energy Illinois Wind LLC Hybrid (238 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in DeKalb County?
100 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Leeward Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in DeKalb County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in DeKalb County.
Is DeKalb County adding jobs?
Employers counted 36,506 jobs in 2025 against 37,020 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does DeKalb County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for DeKalb County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.