Marshall County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Henry Township, Lacon Township and Henry
Marshall County is where a large share of Illinois's next power plants are planned. Marshall County is home to Henry Township, Lacon Township, Henry and Lacon. 178 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Old Town Wind LLC (wind). Construction employs 136, up 3.0% since 2019. 146 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Marshall County
Marshall County is home to Henry Township, Lacon Township, Henry and Lacon.
- Washburn also extends into Woodford 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 Marshall County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,713 | 11,473 | ▼ 2.0% | 84th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,827 | 2,864 | ▲ 1.3% | 38th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,432 | $50,050 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 132 | 136 | ▲ 3.0% | 41st of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 146 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 178 MW | 122% of today's fleet | 12th of 57 by size |
Its power plants have 146 MW of capacity, 64% of it wind. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Marshall County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 2,864 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 11,473 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Marshall County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +146 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marshall 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 93 MW | 64% |
| Solar | 53 MW | 36% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington Wind | Minonk Stewardship Wind LLC | Wind | 93 MW | 2021 |
| Richland Township Solar, LLC | Birch Creek Power, LLC | Solar | 35 MW | 2025 |
| Richland Township Solar II, LLC | Birch Creek Power, LLC | Solar | 11 MW | 2025 |
| Illinois River Solar 2, LLC | SRC Partnership 16, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Schulte 2 Community Solar | Schulte 2 Community Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Sparland Solar, LLC | SREOG IL Partnership 3, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 178 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Old Town Wind LLC |
The Marshall County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,864 | $50,050 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 136 | $66,741 | 0.90 |
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 Marshall County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Marshall County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Woodford County.
Marshall County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County | 11,473 | ▲ 1.3% | 146 MW | 178 MW | — | — |
| Bureau County | 32,510 | ▼ 13.9% | 752 MW | 16 MW | — | — |
| LaSalle County | 107,773 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,824 MW | 322 MW | — | — |
| Peoria County | 178,553 | ▼ 2.2% | 47 MW | 11 MW | 2 | — |
| Putnam County | 5,619 | ▲ 6.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Stark County | 5,319 | ▲ 19.5% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodford County | 38,111 | ▲ 12.6% | 200 MW | 428 MW | — | 1 |
More of Illinois
Marshall County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marshall County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Marshall County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation. The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Marshall County?
7 operating plants with 146 MW of capacity. The largest is Bennington Wind (93 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Marshall County?
178 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Old Town Wind LLC.
Are there data centers in Marshall County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marshall County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Woodford County.
Is Marshall County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,864 jobs in 2025 against 2,827 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 132 to 136.
Does Marshall County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marshall County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.