Ogle County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Flagg Township, Rochelle and Byron Township
The data center boom is not abstract in Ogle County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Ogle County. Ogle County is home to Flagg Township, Rochelle, Byron Township and Oregon-Nashua Township. Its power plants have 2,502 MW of capacity, 98% of it nuclear, the 5th largest fleet in Illinois. Construction employs 727, up 6.1% since 2019. 20 MW has retired here since 2019, including Orchard Hills Renewable Energy Station (other technologies, 16 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Ogle County
Ogle County is home to Flagg Township, Rochelle, Byron Township and Oregon-Nashua Township.
And 13 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baileyville, Grand Detour, Holcomb, Kings, Lost Nation.
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 Ogle County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 51,765 | 51,399 | ▼ 0.7% | 28th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,354 | 14,427 | ▼ 6.0% | 77th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,977 | $61,844 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 685 | 727 | ▲ 6.1% | 33rd of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 3.6% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 14,427 jobs in 2025, down 6.0% from 2019. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Ogle County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 51,399 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Ogle County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ogle 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% |
| Rochelle Municipal Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 5,854 | 13.22¢ | 11% |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,450 MW | 98% |
| Natural gas | 20 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 15 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 13 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Generating Station | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 2,450 MW | 1985 |
| North Ninth Street | Rochelle Municipal Utilities - (IL) | Natural gas | 17 MW | 1940 |
| South Main Street | Rochelle Municipal Utilities - (IL) | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1967 |
| USS Ducks Solar CSG | USS Ducks Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Rochelle Energy Center | Frontier Operation Services | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2011 |
| CSG Mt. Morris 2, LLC | CSG Mt. Morris 2, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Hills Renewable Energy Station | Other technologies | 16 MW | 2022 |
| 1515 S Caron Road | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2022 |
The Ogle County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,427 | $61,844 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 727 | $81,006 | 0.95 |
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 Ogle County
3 data centers in Ogle County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Ogle County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Ogle County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogle County | 51,399 | ▼ 6.0% | 2,502 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Boone County | 53,568 | ▼ 37.4% | 18 MW | 18 MW | — | — |
| Carroll County | 15,419 | ▼ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| DeKalb County | 101,835 | ▼ 1.4% | 306 MW | 100 MW | 5 | — |
| Lee County | 32,914 | ▼ 3.0% | 2,285 MW | 1,200 MW | — | — |
| Stephenson County | 43,220 | ▼ 0.3% | 270 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Whiteside County | 54,121 | ▼ 5.0% | 64 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Winnebago County | 283,674 | ▼ 0.3% | 520 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Ogle County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ogle County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Ogle County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, Rochelle Municipal Utilities. The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Flagg Township, IL in?
Flagg Township is in Ogle County, Illinois. About 13,335 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ogle County?
10 operating plants with 2,502 MW of capacity. The largest is Byron Generating Station (2,450 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Ogle County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Ogle County.
Is Ogle County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,427 jobs in 2025 against 15,354 in 2019 (-6.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 685 to 727.
Does Ogle County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ogle County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.