Jackson County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carbondale Township, Carbondale and Murphysboro Township
New generation is lining up in Jackson County. Jackson County is home to Carbondale Township, Carbondale, Murphysboro Township and Murphysboro. Construction employs 1,285, up 41.8% since 2019. 101 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Big Muddy Solar Project, LLC (solar). 95 MW of it is already under construction or built. 641 MW has retired here since 2019, including Grand Tower Energy Center LLC (natural gas, 641 MW, 2024). Employers here counted 27,609 jobs in 2025, up 11.0% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 102 Illinois counties).
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Carbondale Township, Carbondale, Murphysboro Township and Murphysboro.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Harrison.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 53,289 | 52,501 | ▼ 1.5% | 27th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,882 | 27,609 | ▲ 11.0% | 8th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,038 | $55,060 | ▲ 22.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 906 | 1,285 | ▲ 41.8% | 7th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 641 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 101 MW | 1003% of today's fleet | 19th of 57 by size |
5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 10 MW of capacity, 50% of it solar. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 52,501 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Jackson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −636 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jackson 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% |
| Egyptian Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,707 | 15.53¢ | 42% |
| Southern Illinois Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 5 MW | 50% |
| Coal | 4 MW | 35% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIUC | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1998 |
| Gerstenschlager Family Solar 1, LLC (CSG) | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Muddy Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 95 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Big Muddy Solar Project, LLC |
| Murphysboro 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Navisun LLC |
| Murphysboro 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Navisun LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Tower Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 641 MW | 2024 |
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 27,609 | $55,060 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,285 | $75,529 | 0.88 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Jackson County, Randolph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 52,501 | ▲ 11.0% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | — |
| Franklin County | 36,916 | ▲ 0.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 20,160 | ▼ 5.2% | 535 MW | 168 MW | — | — |
| Perry County MO | 19,093 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 29,921 | ▼ 9.4% | 1,504 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 16,656 | ▲ 3.5% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Williamson County | 67,225 | ▲ 4.7% | 266 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Egyptian Electric Coop Assn, Southern Illinois Elec Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Carbondale Township, IL in?
Carbondale Township is in Jackson County, Illinois. About 24,571 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Carbondale, IL in?
Carbondale is in Jackson County, Illinois. About 21,811 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Jackson County?
2 operating plants with 10 MW of capacity. The largest is SIUC (5 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Jackson County?
101 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 95 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Big Muddy Solar Project, LLC.
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 27,609 jobs in 2025 against 24,882 in 2019 (+11.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 906 to 1,285.
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.