Douglas County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tuscola Township, Tuscola and Bourbon Township
Douglas County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Douglas County is home to Tuscola Township, Tuscola, Bourbon Township and Camargo Township. Construction employs 549, up 27.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Coles County has 300 MW of planned generation. 204 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including Tuscola Station (natural gas, 12 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Douglas County
Douglas County is home to Tuscola Township, Tuscola, Bourbon Township and Camargo Township.
- Arthur also extends into Moultrie County.
- Atwood also extends into Piatt 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 Douglas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,774 | 19,880 | ▲ 0.5% | 58th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,479 | 7,574 | ▲ 1.3% | 39th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,781 | $58,530 | ▲ 43.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 430 | 549 | ▲ 27.7% | 13th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 204 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — |
Its power plants have 204 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Douglas County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 7,574 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 19,880 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Douglas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +192 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Douglas 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% |
| Eastern Illinois Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,115 | 17.10¢ | 22% |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 202 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Ridge Wind Farm | Harvest Ridge Wind Farm | Wind | 202 MW | 2020 |
| USS Young Solar LLC (Young 2) | SRC Partnership 16, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola Station | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2021 |
The Douglas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,574 | $58,530 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 549 | $72,408 | 1.37 |
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 Douglas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Douglas County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Champaign County.
Douglas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Douglas County, Coles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 19,880 | ▲ 1.3% | 204 MW | — | — | — |
| Champaign County | 209,972 | ▲ 3.9% | 272 MW | 8 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Coles County | 46,607 | ▲ 0.2% | 301 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Edgar County | 16,323 | ▲ 4.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Moultrie County | 14,371 | ▼ 1.0% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Piatt County | 16,791 | ▲ 5.0% | 988 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Vermilion County | 71,259 | ▼ 3.9% | 521 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Douglas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Douglas County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Douglas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Eastern Illinois Elec Coop, Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop, Enerstar Power Corp. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Douglas County?
2 operating plants with 204 MW of capacity. The largest is Harvest Ridge Wind Farm (202 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Douglas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Douglas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coles County.
Is Douglas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,574 jobs in 2025 against 7,479 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 430 to 549.
Does Douglas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Douglas County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.