Moultrie County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sullivan Township, Sullivan and Lowe Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Moultrie County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Moultrie County is home to Sullivan Township, Sullivan, Lowe Township and Marrowbone Township. Electrical contractors employ 49, up 44.1% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $81,973 a year. Next door, Coles County has 300 MW of planned generation. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Sullivan (IL) (petroleum, 2 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Moultrie County
Moultrie County is home to Sullivan Township, Sullivan, Lowe Township and Marrowbone Township.
- Arthur also extends into Douglas County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake City.
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 Moultrie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,485 | 14,371 | ▼ 0.8% | 72nd of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,221 | 5,171 | ▼ 1.0% | 54th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,469 | $54,308 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34 | 49 | ▲ 44.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Moultrie County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 5,171 jobs in 2025, down 1.0% from 2019. 14,371 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Moultrie County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Moultrie 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% |
| Eastern Illinois Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,115 | 17.10¢ | 22% |
| Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,871 | 18.63¢ | 11% |
| Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,456 | 17.14¢ | 25% |
| Village of Bethany - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sullivan - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 24 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan (IL) | City of Sullivan - (IL) | Petroleum | 24 MW | 1948 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan (IL) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Moultrie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,171 | $54,308 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 49 | $81,973 | 1.31 |
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 Moultrie County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Moultrie County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Macon County.
Moultrie County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Moultrie County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moultrie County | 14,371 | ▼ 1.0% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Coles County | 46,607 | ▲ 0.2% | 301 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Douglas County | 19,880 | ▲ 1.3% | 204 MW | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 99,300 | ▼ 6.4% | 422 MW | 2 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Piatt County | 16,791 | ▲ 5.0% | 988 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County | 20,576 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,185 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Moultrie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Moultrie County, Illinois?
6 utilities have service territory in Moultrie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Eastern Illinois Elec Coop, Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL), Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Moultrie County?
1 operating plant with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is Sullivan (IL) (24 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Moultrie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Moultrie County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coles County.
Is Moultrie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,171 jobs in 2025 against 5,221 in 2019 (-1.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Moultrie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Moultrie County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.