Grundy County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Aux Sable Township, Morris and Minooka
Grundy County hosts some of the generating capacity Illinois runs on. Grundy County is home to Aux Sable Township, Morris, most of Minooka (9,763 of its 12,899 residents) and Morris Township. Its power plants have 3,548 MW of capacity, 57% of it nuclear, the 2nd largest fleet in Illinois. 1,311 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. 25 MW of new generation is planned here across 13 units, led by Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC (solar). 15 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 1,857, down 10.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Grundy County
Grundy County is home to Aux Sable Township, Morris, most of Minooka (9,763 of its 12,899 residents) and Morris Township.
And 7 smaller places.
- Minooka also extends into Will County, Kendall County.
- Channahon also extends into Will County.
- Godley also extends into 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 Grundy County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 52,538 | 54,052 | ▲ 2.9% | 25th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,517 | 22,954 | ▲ 11.9% | 7th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,546 | $71,627 | ▲ 22.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,080 | 1,857 | ▼ 10.7% | 54th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,311 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 25 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 25th of 57 by size |
Next door, Livingston County has 1,096 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 22,954 jobs in 2025, up 11.9% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 102 Illinois counties). Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Grundy County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 54,052 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Grundy County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,311 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Grundy 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,019 MW | 57% |
| Natural gas | 1,519 MW | 43% |
| Solar | 11 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden Generating Station | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 2,019 MW | 1970 |
| CPV Three Rivers Energy Center | CPV Three Rivers, LLC | Natural gas | 1,300 MW | 2023 |
| Morris Cogeneration LLC | Morris Cogeneration LLC | Natural gas | 219 MW | 1998 |
| Ahern Community Solar I, LLC | Ahern Community Solar I, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Goodfarm Solar, LLC | SRC Partnership 12, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
| SV CSG Gardner 2 LLC | SRC Partnership 12, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 13
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL IL Braceville | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Standard Solar |
| Gillard | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | 38DN Asset Management LLC |
| USS Middle Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | USS Middle Solar LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
| Dresden Island Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC |
The Grundy County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 22,954 | $71,627 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,857 | $107,197 | 1.53 |
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 Grundy County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grundy County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Grundy County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Grundy County, Will 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grundy County | 54,052 | ▲ 11.9% | 3,548 MW | 25 MW | — | — |
| Kankakee County | 105,525 | ▼ 7.0% | 248 MW | 320 MW | — | — |
| Kendall County | 145,470 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,266 MW | — | 3 | — |
| LaSalle County | 107,773 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,824 MW | 322 MW | — | — |
| Livingston County | 35,057 | ▲ 0.3% | 915 MW | 1,096 MW | — | — |
| Will County | 712,253 | ▲ 7.8% | 6,936 MW | 17 MW | 1 | — |
More of Illinois
Grundy County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grundy County, Illinois?
1 utility has service territory in Grundy 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 Aux Sable Township, IL in?
Aux Sable Township is in Grundy County, Illinois. About 15,963 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Morris, IL in?
Morris is in Grundy County, Illinois. About 14,669 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Grundy County?
9 operating plants with 3,548 MW of capacity. The largest is Dresden Generating Station (2,019 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Grundy County?
25 MW across 13 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 15 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC.
Are there data centers in Grundy County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grundy County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Livingston County.
Is Grundy County adding jobs?
Employers counted 22,954 jobs in 2025 against 20,517 in 2019 (+11.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,080 to 1,857.
Does Grundy County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grundy County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.