Lawrence County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lawrence Township, Lawrenceville and Christy Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Lawrence County. Lawrence County is home to Lawrence Township, Lawrenceville, Christy Township and Bridgeport Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Two-year moratorium on data centers”. Employers here counted 4,008 jobs in 2025, down 11.7% from 2019. 9 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lawrence County
Lawrence County is home to Lawrence Township, Lawrenceville, Christy Township and Bridgeport Township.
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 Lawrence County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,277 | 13,790 | ▼ 9.7% | 74th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,538 | 4,008 | ▼ 11.7% | 94th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,731 | $54,801 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 4.1% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 9 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 9 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 13,790 people live here, down 9.7% since 2020. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Lawrence County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Lawrence County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lawrence 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% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 9 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Boshoku | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| SV CSG Aldridge A, LLC | SREOG IL Partnership 4, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| SV CSG Aldridge B, LLC | SREOG IL Partnership 4, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Lawrence County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,008 | $54,801 | 1.00 |
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 Lawrence County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-year moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-09 |
Lawrence County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Lawrence County, Knox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 13,790 | ▼ 11.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Crawford County | 18,648 | ▲ 8.2% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County IN | 35,652 | ▼ 3.0% | 1,463 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 15,219 | ▼ 1.7% | 2 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Wabash County | 10,907 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Lawrence County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lawrence County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Lawrence County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Norris Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lawrence County?
3 operating plants with 9 MW of capacity. The largest is Toyota Boshoku (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Lawrence County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lawrence County.
Is Lawrence County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,008 jobs in 2025 against 4,538 in 2019 (-11.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lawrence County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Lawrence County, 1 in force.