LaSalle County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ottawa, LaSalle Township and Streator
LaSalle County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. LaSalle County is home to Ottawa, LaSalle Township, Streator and Bruce Township. 322 MW of new generation is planned here across 9 units, led by Avangrid Power LLC (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among Illinois's counties. 169 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,824 MW of capacity, 83% of it nuclear, the 3rd largest fleet in Illinois. Next door, Lee County has 1,200 MW of planned generation. 172 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in LaSalle County
LaSalle County is home to Ottawa, LaSalle Township, Streator and Bruce Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dayton, Harding, Lake Holiday, Serena, Triumph, Wedron.
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 LaSalle County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 109,411 | 107,773 | ▼ 1.5% | 17th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41,709 | 38,720 | ▼ 7.2% | 84th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,486 | $60,975 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,719 | 1,674 | ▼ 2.6% | 47th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 236 | 230 | ▼ 2.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 828 | 904 | ▲ 9.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 4.4% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 172 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 322 MW | 11% of today's fleet | 6th of 57 by size |
Employers here counted 38,720 jobs in 2025, down 7.2% from 2019. Construction employs 1,674, down 2.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 230, down 2.5% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $118,002 a year. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving LaSalle County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 107,773 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers LaSalle County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +172 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in LaSalle 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% |
| Ameren Illinois Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,060,894 | 15.26¢ | 28% |
| Corn Belt Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,710 | 15.76¢ | 28% |
| City of Peru - (IL) | Municipal | Bundled | 4,993 | 12.00¢ | 35% |
| City of Oglesby - (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 20
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,340 MW | 83% |
| Wind | 360 MW | 13% |
| Solar | 42 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 36 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 35 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 11 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle Generating Station | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 2,340 MW | 1984 |
| Grand Ridge Wind Energy Center | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 210 MW | 2008 |
| Otter Creek Wind Farm LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2020 |
| Grand Ridge Battery Projects | Invenergy Services LLC | Battery storage | 36 MW | 2013 |
| Grand Ridge Solar Farm | Invenergy Services LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2012 |
| City of Peru Water Street Generating Sta | City of Peru - (IL) | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1968 |
Planned generation 9
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osagrove Flats Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 150 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Avangrid Power LLC |
| Allen Acres Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Avangrid Power LLC |
| Solitude | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | 38DN Asset Management LLC |
| SV CSG Naplate | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | SV CSG Naplate, LLC |
| SV CSG Ottawa 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | SV CSG Ottawa 1 LLC |
| Marseilles Lock and Dam Hydro | Conventional Hydroelectric | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Marseilles Land and Water Company |
| Marseilles Lock and Dam Hydro | Conventional Hydroelectric | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Marseilles Land and Water Company |
| Marseilles Lock and Dam Hydro | Conventional Hydroelectric | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Marseilles Land and Water Company |
| Marseilles Lock and Dam Hydro | Conventional Hydroelectric | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Marseilles Land and Water Company |
The LaSalle County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 38,720 | $60,975 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,674 | $91,296 | 0.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 230 | $118,002 | 0.82 |
| Electric utilities | 904 | $184,181 | 8.63 |
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 LaSalle County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in LaSalle County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Woodford County.
LaSalle County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border LaSalle County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle County | 107,773 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,824 MW | 322 MW | — | — |
| Bureau County | 32,510 | ▼ 13.9% | 752 MW | 16 MW | — | — |
| DeKalb County | 101,835 | ▼ 1.4% | 306 MW | 100 MW | 5 | — |
| Grundy County | 54,052 | ▲ 11.9% | 3,548 MW | 25 MW | — | — |
| Kendall County | 145,470 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,266 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lee County | 32,914 | ▼ 3.0% | 2,285 MW | 1,200 MW | — | — |
| Livingston County | 35,057 | ▲ 0.3% | 915 MW | 1,096 MW | — | — |
| Marshall County | 11,473 | ▲ 1.3% | 146 MW | 178 MW | — | — |
| Putnam County | 5,619 | ▲ 6.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodford County | 38,111 | ▲ 12.6% | 200 MW | 428 MW | — | 1 |
More of Illinois
LaSalle County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in LaSalle County, Illinois?
5 utilities have service territory in LaSalle County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation, City of Peru - (IL). The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ottawa, IL in?
Ottawa is in LaSalle County, Illinois. About 18,684 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is LaSalle Township, IL in?
LaSalle Township is in LaSalle County, Illinois. About 13,152 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Streator, IL in?
Streator is in LaSalle County, Illinois. About 12,127 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in LaSalle County?
20 operating plants with 2,824 MW of capacity. The largest is LaSalle Generating Station (2,340 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in LaSalle County?
322 MW across 9 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 169 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Avangrid Power LLC.
Are there data centers in LaSalle County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in LaSalle County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lee County.
Is LaSalle County adding jobs?
Employers counted 38,720 jobs in 2025 against 41,709 in 2019 (-7.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,719 to 1,674.
Does LaSalle County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for LaSalle County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.