Kankakee County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bourbonnais Township, Kankakee Township and Kankakee
Kankakee County is a generation frontier for Illinois. Kankakee County is home to Bourbonnais Township, Kankakee Township, Kankakee and Bourbonnais. 320 MW of new generation is planned here across 5 units, led by Pattern Operators LP (solar), the 7th largest pipeline among Illinois's counties. 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 41,919 jobs in 2025, down 7.0% from 2019. 67 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 248 MW of capacity, 71% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Kankakee County
Kankakee County is home to Bourbonnais Township, Kankakee Township, Kankakee and Bourbonnais.
And 13 smaller places.
- Chebanse also extends into Iroquois County.
- Cabery also extends into Ford 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 Kankakee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 107,402 | 105,525 | ▼ 1.7% | 18th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 45,071 | 41,919 | ▼ 7.0% | 83rd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,531 | $58,435 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 67 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 320 MW | 129% of today's fleet | 7th of 57 by size |
Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 175, at an average $91,104 a year. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Kankakee County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 105,525 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Kankakee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +67 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kankakee 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 31
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 175 MW | 71% |
| Solar | 67 MW | 27% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 2% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Hill Wind Farm | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 175 MW | 2015 |
| NL IL - 2000 North Road CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Cenergy IL - BA Family CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| IL - ForeFront CS (BBCHS 1) Community Solar | IL Solar Bradley Project1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| Jeffery | Generate Capital | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| CSL Behring LLC | CSL Behring LLC | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1993 |
Planned generation 5
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Prairie Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 300 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Pattern Operators LP |
| KA 340 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Generate Capital |
| SV CSG St Anne 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SV CSG St Anne 1, LLC |
| SV CSG Manteno | Batteries | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SV CSG Manteno, LLC |
| SV CSG Manteno | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SV CSG Manteno, LLC |
The Kankakee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 41,919 | $58,435 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 175 | $91,104 | 0.58 |
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 Kankakee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kankakee County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Kankakee County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kankakee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee County | 105,525 | ▼ 7.0% | 248 MW | 320 MW | — | — |
| Ford County | 13,216 | ▲ 16.9% | 867 MW | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 54,052 | ▲ 11.9% | 3,548 MW | 25 MW | — | — |
| Iroquois County | 26,150 | ▼ 9.8% | 303 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Lake County IN | 504,612 | ▲ 1.4% | 1,160 MW | 100 MW | 7 | — |
| Livingston County | 35,057 | ▲ 0.3% | 915 MW | 1,096 MW | — | — |
| Newton County IN | 14,188 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Will County | 712,253 | ▲ 7.8% | 6,936 MW | 17 MW | 1 | — |
More of Illinois
Kankakee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kankakee County, Illinois?
1 utility has service territory in Kankakee 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 Bourbonnais Township, IL in?
Bourbonnais Township is in Kankakee County, Illinois. About 38,541 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kankakee Township, IL in?
Kankakee Township is in Kankakee County, Illinois. About 23,835 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kankakee, IL in?
Kankakee is in Kankakee County, Illinois. About 23,400 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kankakee County?
31 operating plants with 248 MW of capacity. The largest is Pilot Hill Wind Farm (175 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Kankakee County?
320 MW across 5 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Pattern Operators LP.
Are there data centers in Kankakee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kankakee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Livingston County.
Is Kankakee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 41,919 jobs in 2025 against 45,071 in 2019 (-7.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kankakee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kankakee County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.