Lee County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dixon Township, Dixon and Palmyra Township
Lee County is where a large share of Illinois's next power plants are planned. Lee County is home to Dixon Township, Dixon, Palmyra Township and Amboy Township. 1,200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by TerraForm Power Operating, LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Illinois's counties. Its power plants have 2,285 MW of capacity, 74% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Illinois. 692 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 12,642 jobs in 2025, down 3.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Lee County
Lee County is home to Dixon Township, Dixon, Palmyra Township and Amboy Township.
And 10 smaller places.
- Lee also extends into DeKalb County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lee Center, Nachusa.
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 Lee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,063 | 32,914 | ▼ 3.4% | 43rd of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,036 | 12,642 | ▼ 3.0% | 65th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,849 | $63,207 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 692 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,200 MW | 53% of today's fleet | 2nd of 57 by size |
Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Lee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 32,914 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Lee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +692 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lee 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% |
| Rochelle Municipal Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 5,854 | 13.22¢ | 11% |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,700 MW | 74% |
| Wind | 573 MW | 25% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 0% |
| Hydro | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Energy Facility | Lee County Generating Station - (IL) | Natural gas | 692 MW | 2001 |
| Nelson Energy Center | Invenergy Services LLC | Natural gas | 628 MW | 2015 |
| Invenergy Nelson Expansion LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Natural gas | 380 MW | 2023 |
| Green River Wind Farm | Geronimo Power | Wind | 194 MW | 2019 |
| Shady Oaks Wind Farm | Algonquin Power Co | Wind | 110 MW | 2012 |
| Shady Oaks Wind 2 | Shady Oaks Wind 2, LLC | Wind | 108 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Creek Solar Phase 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 1,200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | TerraForm Power Operating, LLC |
The Lee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,642 | $63,207 | 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 Lee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lee County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Lee County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lee County, LaSalle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 32,914 | ▼ 3.0% | 2,285 MW | 1,200 MW | — | — |
| Bureau County | 32,510 | ▼ 13.9% | 752 MW | 16 MW | — | — |
| DeKalb County | 101,835 | ▼ 1.4% | 306 MW | 100 MW | 5 | — |
| LaSalle County | 107,773 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,824 MW | 322 MW | — | — |
| Ogle County | 51,399 | ▼ 6.0% | 2,502 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Whiteside County | 54,121 | ▼ 5.0% | 64 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Lee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lee County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Lee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, Rochelle Municipal Utilities. The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dixon Township, IL in?
Dixon Township is in Lee County, Illinois. About 16,539 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Dixon, IL in?
Dixon is in Lee County, Illinois. About 14,582 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lee County?
13 operating plants with 2,285 MW of capacity. The largest is Lee Energy Facility (692 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Lee County?
1,200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is TerraForm Power Operating, LLC.
Are there data centers in Lee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in DeKalb County.
Is Lee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,642 jobs in 2025 against 13,036 in 2019 (-3.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lee County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.