Edgar County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paris Township, Paris and Ross Township
Edgar 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. Edgar County is home to Paris Township, Paris, Ross Township and Chrisman. Electrical contractors employ 11, up 37.5% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $35,846 a year. Next door, Coles County has 300 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 162, up 11.7% since 2019. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Edgar County
Edgar County is home to Paris Township, Paris, Ross Township and Chrisman.
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 Edgar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,806 | 16,323 | ▼ 2.9% | 64th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,873 | 7,158 | ▲ 4.1% | 28th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,639 | $57,399 | ▲ 28.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 145 | 162 | ▲ 11.7% | 27th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8 | 11 | ▲ 37.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 7,158 jobs in 2025, up 4.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Edgar County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 16,323 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Edgar County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Edgar 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 6 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar Solar 1 | Pivot Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
| SAE Paris IL S1 | SolAmerica Energy, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Edgar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,158 | $57,399 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 162 | $62,370 | 0.43 |
| Electrical contractors | 11 | $35,846 | 0.21 |
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 Edgar County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Edgar County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Champaign County, Vermillion County.
Edgar County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Edgar County, Vermillion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar County | 16,323 | ▲ 4.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Champaign County | 209,972 | ▲ 3.9% | 272 MW | 8 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Clark County | 15,114 | ▼ 6.5% | 189 MW | — | — | — |
| Coles County | 46,607 | ▲ 0.2% | 301 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Douglas County | 19,880 | ▲ 1.3% | 204 MW | — | — | — |
| Vermilion County | 71,259 | ▼ 3.9% | 521 MW | — | — | — |
| Vermillion County IN | 15,488 | ▲ 7.2% | 1,877 MW | 185 MW | — | 1 |
| Vigo County IN | 106,512 | ▼ 1.8% | 862 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Edgar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Edgar County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Edgar 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 Edgar County?
2 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Edgar Solar 1 (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Edgar County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Edgar County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coles County.
Is Edgar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,158 jobs in 2025 against 6,873 in 2019 (+4.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 145 to 162.
Does Edgar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Edgar County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.