Morgan County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jacksonville, South Jacksonville and Waverly
Morgan 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. Morgan County is home to Jacksonville, South Jacksonville, Waverly and Meredosia. Next door, Sangamon County has 1,279 MW of planned generation. 183 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 367, down 1.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Morgan County
Morgan County is home to Jacksonville, South Jacksonville, Waverly and Meredosia.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alexander, Literberry.
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 Morgan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,490 | 32,515 | ▼ 2.9% | 45th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,177 | 14,194 | ▲ 0.1% | 48th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,957 | $53,333 | ▲ 27.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 372 | 367 | ▼ 1.3% | 44th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 183 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 183 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 63, at an average $90,171 a year. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Morgan County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 14,194 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 32,515 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Morgan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +183 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Morgan 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% |
| Menard Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,048 | 18.05¢ | 18% |
| Illinois Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 183 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Run Solar | Wolf Run Solar LLC | Solar | 140 MW | 2024 |
| Prairie Creek Solar | Sol Systems | Solar | 30 MW | 2023 |
| Peony | Generate Capital | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| Morgan Solar 1 CSG | Morgan Solar 1 LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Morgan Solar 1b CSG | Morgan Solar 1b LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Morgan Solar 2, LLC CSG | Morgan Solar 2, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Morgan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,194 | $53,333 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 367 | $66,149 | 0.49 |
| Electrical contractors | 63 | $90,171 | 0.62 |
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 Morgan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Morgan County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Morgan County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Morgan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 32,515 | ▲ 0.1% | 183 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 6,401 | ▲ 10.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,463 | ▼ 17.8% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 11,313 | ▼ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Macoupin County | 43,748 | ▼ 3.6% | 226 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Pike County | 14,231 | ▼ 3.9% | 78 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Sangamon County | 194,170 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,313 MW | 1,279 MW | — | — |
| Scott County | 4,866 | ▼ 7.5% | 173 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Morgan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morgan County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Morgan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Menard Electric Coop, Illinois Rural Electric Coop, Rural Electric Conven Coop - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jacksonville, IL in?
Jacksonville is in Morgan County, Illinois. About 17,752 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Morgan County?
7 operating plants with 183 MW of capacity. The largest is Wolf Run Solar (140 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Morgan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Morgan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sangamon County.
Is Morgan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,194 jobs in 2025 against 14,177 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 372 to 367.
Does Morgan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Morgan County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.