Montgomery County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hillsboro Township, Litchfield and Hillsboro
Montgomery County is living through the turnover of the U.S. power fleet. Montgomery County is home to Hillsboro Township, Litchfield, Hillsboro and North Litchfield Township. 1,005 MW has retired here since 2019, including Coffeen (coal, 1,005 MW, 2019). 10 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Dimension Energy LLC (solar). 10 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Sangamon County has 1,279 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Montgomery County
Montgomery County is home to Hillsboro Township, Litchfield, Hillsboro and North Litchfield Township.
And 13 smaller places.
- Panama also extends into Bond 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 Montgomery County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,244 | 28,076 | ▼ 0.6% | 48th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,779 | 8,847 | ▲ 0.8% | 42nd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,171 | $49,222 | ▲ 22.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 338 | 356 | ▲ 5.3% | 35th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24 | 26 | ▲ 8.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 56 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1,005 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 10 MW | 18% of today's fleet | 37th of 57 by size |
Construction employs 356, up 5.3% since 2019. 56 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 26, up 8.3% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $70,380 a year. Its power plants have 56 MW of capacity, 96% of it solar. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Montgomery County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 8,847 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 28,076 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Montgomery County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −949 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montgomery 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% |
| Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,822 | 13.68¢ | 17% |
| Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,871 | 18.63¢ | 11% |
| M J M Electric Cooperative Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rural Electric Conven Coop - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 54 MW | 96% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffeen Solar BESS | Vistra Corp | Solar | 46 MW | 2024 |
| AC IL - Hillsboro CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| Anacott | Generate Capital | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluestar Solar Project, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dimension Energy LLC |
| Horseshoe Solar Project, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Dimension Energy LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffeen | Coal | 1,005 MW | 2019 |
The Montgomery County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,847 | $49,222 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 356 | $66,317 | 0.76 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $70,380 | 0.41 |
| Electric utilities | 68 | $141,644 | 2.84 |
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 Montgomery County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montgomery County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Montgomery County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 28,076 | ▲ 0.8% | 56 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Bond County | 16,959 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 5 MW | — | — |
| Christian County | 33,443 | ▼ 8.3% | 1,330 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 20,790 | ▼ 9.7% | 101 MW | 119 MW | — | — |
| Macoupin County | 43,748 | ▼ 3.6% | 226 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 263,110 | ▲ 5.9% | 701 MW | 8 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
Montgomery County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montgomery County, Illinois?
5 utilities have service territory in Montgomery County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL), Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL), M J M Electric Cooperative Inc. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Montgomery County?
3 operating plants with 56 MW of capacity. The largest is Coffeen Solar BESS (46 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Montgomery County?
10 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 10 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Dimension Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in Montgomery County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montgomery County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sangamon County.
Is Montgomery County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,847 jobs in 2025 against 8,779 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 338 to 356.
Does Montgomery County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montgomery County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.