McLean County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bloomington, Normal and Normal Township
McLean County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. McLean County is home to Bloomington, Normal, Normal Township and Randolph Township. 20 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by SV CSG Bloomington, LLC (solar). 10 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Livingston County has 1,096 MW of planned generation. 214 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Electrical contractors employ 451, up 13.6% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $93,268 a year.
Cities and towns in McLean County
McLean County is home to Bloomington, Normal, Normal Township and Randolph Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Shirley, Twin Grove.
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 McLean County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 171,210 | 171,419 | ▲ 0.1% | 13th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 82,263 | 87,006 | ▲ 5.8% | 18th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,522 | $68,708 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 397 | 451 | ▲ 13.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 214 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 20 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 27th of 57 by size |
Its power plants have 796 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. Employers here counted 87,006 jobs in 2025, up 5.8% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving McLean County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 171,419 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers McLean County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +214 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in McLean 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% |
| Eastern Illinois Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,115 | 17.10¢ | 22% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 782 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Trail Wind Farm | Old Trail Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 214 MW | 2007 |
| High Trail Wind Farm LLC | High Trail Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 211 MW | 2007 |
| Bright Stalk Wind Farm I | Lexington Chenoa Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 205 MW | 2019 |
| White Oak Energy LLC | White Oak Energy LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2011 |
| State Farm | State Farm Insurance | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1996 |
| Towanda | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Street Solar 1 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Washington Street Solar 1 LLC |
| Kieser | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | AES Clean Energy |
| SV CSG Bloomington | Batteries | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SV CSG Bloomington, LLC |
| SV CSG Bloomington | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SV CSG Bloomington, LLC |
The McLean County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 87,006 | $68,708 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 451 | $93,268 | 0.72 |
| Electric utilities | 142 | $132,108 | 0.60 |
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 McLean County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in McLean County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Champaign County, Logan County, Tazewell County, Woodford County.
McLean County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border McLean County, Livingston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLean County | 171,419 | ▲ 5.8% | 796 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Champaign County | 209,972 | ▲ 3.9% | 272 MW | 8 MW | 5 | 1 |
| De Witt County | 15,118 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Ford County | 13,216 | ▲ 16.9% | 867 MW | — | — | — |
| Livingston County | 35,057 | ▲ 0.3% | 915 MW | 1,096 MW | — | — |
| Logan County | 27,182 | ▼ 15.3% | 726 MW | 204 MW | — | 1 |
| Piatt County | 16,791 | ▲ 5.0% | 988 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Tazewell County | 130,049 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,897 MW | 20 MW | — | 2 |
| Woodford County | 38,111 | ▲ 12.6% | 200 MW | 428 MW | — | 1 |
More of Illinois
McLean County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McLean County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in McLean County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation, Eastern Illinois Elec Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bloomington, IL in?
Bloomington is in McLean County, Illinois. About 78,804 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Normal, IL in?
Normal is in McLean County, Illinois. About 53,275 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Normal Township, IL in?
Normal Township is in McLean County, Illinois. About 52,542 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in McLean County?
9 operating plants with 796 MW of capacity. The largest is Old Trail Wind Farm (214 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in McLean County?
20 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 10 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SV CSG Bloomington, LLC.
Are there data centers in McLean County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McLean County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Livingston County.
Is McLean County adding jobs?
Employers counted 87,006 jobs in 2025 against 82,263 in 2019 (+5.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does McLean County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McLean County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.