Jasper County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wade Township and Newton
Jasper County is living through the turnover of the U.S. power fleet. Construction employs 186, up 75.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Jasper County is home to Wade Township, Newton, North Muddy Township and Crooked Creek Township. Owners plan to retire 617 MW more by 2035, led by Newton in 2027. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 54 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Jasper County
Jasper County is home to Wade Township, Newton, North Muddy Township and Crooked Creek Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): West Liberty.
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 Jasper County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,253 | 9,032 | ▼ 2.4% | 88th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,041 | 2,147 | ▲ 5.2% | 21st of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,419 | $51,385 | ▲ 33.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 106 | 186 | ▲ 75.5% | 3rd of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 2.8% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 54 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 671 MW of capacity, 92% of it coal. Employers here counted 2,147 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Jasper County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 9,032 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Jasper County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +54 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jasper 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% |
| Norris Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,074 | 15.08¢ | 26% |
| Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Newton - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 617 MW | 92% |
| Solar | 52 MW | 8% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | Illinois Power Generating Co | Coal | 617 MW | 1977 |
| Newton Solar BESS LLC | Vistra Corp | Battery storage | 54 MW | 2026 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | Coal | 617 MW | 2027 |
The Jasper County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,147 | $51,385 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 186 | $74,219 | 1.64 |
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 Jasper County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jasper County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Jasper County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Jasper County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 9,032 | ▲ 5.2% | 671 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 15,114 | ▼ 6.5% | 189 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 12,793 | ▼ 9.9% | 726 MW | 127 MW | — | — |
| Crawford County | 18,648 | ▲ 8.2% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 10,208 | ▲ 1.3% | 274 MW | — | — | — |
| Effingham County | 34,519 | ▲ 5.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 15,219 | ▼ 1.7% | 2 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Jasper County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jasper County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Jasper County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Norris Electric Coop, Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL), City of Newton - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jasper County?
2 operating plants with 671 MW of capacity. The largest is Newton (617 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Jasper County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jasper County.
Is Jasper County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,147 jobs in 2025 against 2,041 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 106 to 186.
Does Jasper County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jasper County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.