Fulton County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Canton Township, Canton and Farmington Township
Fulton County is living through the turnover of the U.S. power fleet. Fulton County is home to Canton Township, Canton, Farmington Township and Lewistown Township. Electrical contractors employ 51, up 54.5% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $86,933 a year. 441 MW has retired here since 2019, including Duck Creek (coal, 441 MW, 2019). Next door, Peoria County has 2 data centers. Construction employs 314, up 14.2% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Fulton County
Fulton County is home to Canton Township, Canton, Farmington Township and Lewistown Township.
And 16 smaller places.
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 Fulton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,562 | 32,901 | ▼ 2.0% | 44th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,261 | 8,639 | ▲ 4.6% | 25th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,651 | $47,704 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 275 | 314 | ▲ 14.2% | 24th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 51 | ▲ 54.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 111 | 55 | ▼ 50.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 3.9% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 156 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 441 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 156 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 8,639 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 156 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Fulton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 32,901 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Fulton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −284 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fulton 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% |
| McDonough Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Spoon River Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 156 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasantville Solar Park | Pleasantville Solar Park LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Buckheart Creek Solar I Community Solar | Buckheart Creek Solar 1, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
| Illinois PV Fulton 1 CSG | Illinois PV Fulton 1, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Creek | Coal | 441 MW | 2019 |
The Fulton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,639 | $47,704 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 314 | $59,796 | 0.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 51 | $86,933 | 0.82 |
| Electric utilities | 55 | $111,005 | 2.35 |
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 Fulton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fulton County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Tazewell County.
Fulton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Fulton County, Tazewell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 32,901 | ▲ 4.6% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 47,767 | ▼ 2.4% | 16 MW | 5 MW | 1 | — |
| Mason County | 12,411 | ▼ 6.2% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| McDonough County | 25,916 | ▼ 7.2% | 171 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Peoria County | 178,553 | ▼ 2.2% | 47 MW | 11 MW | 2 | — |
| Schuyler County | 6,657 | ▲ 11.9% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Tazewell County | 130,049 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,897 MW | 20 MW | — | 2 |
| Warren County | 16,222 | ▼ 0.8% | 35 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Fulton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fulton County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Fulton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, McDonough Power Coop, Spoon River Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Canton Township, IL in?
Canton Township is in Fulton County, Illinois. About 13,770 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Canton, IL in?
Canton is in Fulton County, Illinois. About 13,297 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fulton County?
3 operating plants with 156 MW of capacity. The largest is Pleasantville Solar Park (150 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Fulton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fulton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Peoria County.
Is Fulton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,639 jobs in 2025 against 8,261 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 275 to 314.
Does Fulton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fulton County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.