Macon County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Decatur, Decatur Township and Hickory Point Township
The data center boom is not abstract in Macon County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Macon County. Macon County is home to Decatur, Decatur Township, Hickory Point Township and Long Creek Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Construction employs 3,763, up 27.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 2 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Argenta Solar, LLC (solar). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Macon County
Macon County is home to Decatur, Decatur Township, Hickory Point Township and Long Creek Township.
And 4 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Boody, Elwin.
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 Macon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 103,761 | 99,300 | ▼ 4.3% | 20th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48,261 | 45,164 | ▼ 6.4% | 80th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,518 | $68,764 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,945 | 3,763 | ▲ 27.8% | 12th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 481 | 558 | ▲ 16.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 5.1% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 17 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 55th of 57 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 558, up 16.0% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $94,542 a year. Employers here counted 45,164 jobs in 2025, down 6.4% from 2019. 17 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 422 MW of capacity, 79% of it coal. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Macon County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 99,300 people live here, down 4.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019.
Who powers Macon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +17 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Macon 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% |
| Corn Belt Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,710 | 15.76¢ | 28% |
| Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,871 | 18.63¢ | 11% |
| Menard Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,048 | 18.05¢ | 18% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 335 MW | 79% |
| Natural gas | 65 MW | 15% |
| Solar | 17 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Daniels Midland Decatur | Archer Daniels Midland Co | Coal | 335 MW | 1987 |
| Primient Decatur Plant Cogen | Primary Products Ingredients Americas, LLC | Natural gas | 65 MW | 1989 |
| IL - Nexamp Argenta | Argenta Renewables, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| Oreana Renewables | Oreana Renewables LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Oreana Solar | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Fuyao Glass Illinois Inc. | Fuyao Glass Illinois, Inc | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1980 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argenta Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Argenta Solar, LLC |
The Macon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 45,164 | $68,764 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,763 | $80,369 | 1.57 |
| Electrical contractors | 558 | $94,542 | 1.71 |
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 Macon County
2 data centers in Macon County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-06 |
Macon County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Macon County, Sangamon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 99,300 | ▼ 6.4% | 422 MW | 2 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Christian County | 33,443 | ▼ 8.3% | 1,330 MW | — | — | — |
| De Witt County | 15,118 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 27,182 | ▼ 15.3% | 726 MW | 204 MW | — | 1 |
| Moultrie County | 14,371 | ▼ 1.0% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Piatt County | 16,791 | ▲ 5.0% | 988 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Sangamon County | 194,170 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,313 MW | 1,279 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County | 20,576 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,185 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Macon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Macon County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Macon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation, Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL), Menard Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Decatur, IL in?
Decatur is in Macon County, Illinois. About 67,884 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Decatur Township, IL in?
Decatur Township is in Macon County, Illinois. About 45,203 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hickory Point Township, IL in?
Hickory Point Township is in Macon County, Illinois. About 17,474 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Macon County?
7 operating plants with 422 MW of capacity. The largest is Archer Daniels Midland Decatur (335 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Macon County?
2 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Argenta Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Macon County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Macon County.
Is Macon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 45,164 jobs in 2025 against 48,261 in 2019 (-6.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,945 to 3,763.
Does Macon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Macon County, 0 in force.