Perry County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Du Quoin and Pinckneyville
Perry 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. Perry County is home to Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Willisville and Tamaroa. 168 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Great Plains Solar, LLC (solar). 168 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 156, up 18.2% since 2019. 155 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 535 MW of capacity, 71% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Perry County
Perry County is home to Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Willisville and Tamaroa.
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 Perry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,884 | 20,160 | ▼ 3.5% | 57th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,676 | 4,433 | ▼ 5.2% | 76th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,672 | $50,979 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 132 | 156 | ▲ 18.2% | 20th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 4.4% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 155 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 168 MW | 31% of today's fleet | 13th of 57 by size |
Employers here counted 4,433 jobs in 2025, down 5.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Perry County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 20,160 people live here, down 3.5% since 2020.
Who powers Perry County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +155 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Perry 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% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,197 | 16.04¢ | 9% |
| Egyptian Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,707 | 15.53¢ | 42% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 380 MW | 71% |
| Solar | 155 MW | 29% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinckneyville | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Natural gas | 380 MW | 2000 |
| Prairie State Solar Project | Prairie State Solar, LLC | Solar | 99 MW | 2021 |
| Kimmel Road Solar, LLC | Birch Creek Power, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2024 |
| CVE US IL TAMAROA 316 LLC | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
| NL IL - Kiwi | Standard Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Plains Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Great Plains Solar, LLC |
| Two Blues Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 40 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Two Blues Solar, LLC |
| Snapdragon Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 28 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Snapdragon Solar, LLC |
The Perry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,433 | $50,979 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 156 | $61,494 | 0.66 |
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 Perry County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Perry County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Perry County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Perry County, Randolph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 20,160 | ▼ 5.2% | 535 MW | 168 MW | — | — |
| Franklin County | 36,916 | ▲ 0.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 52,501 | ▲ 11.0% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 36,147 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Randolph County | 29,921 | ▼ 9.4% | 1,504 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 13,564 | ▼ 6.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Perry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Perry County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Perry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL), Egyptian Electric Coop Assn. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Perry County?
5 operating plants with 535 MW of capacity. The largest is Pinckneyville (380 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Perry County?
168 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 168 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Great Plains Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Perry County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Perry County.
Is Perry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,433 jobs in 2025 against 4,676 in 2019 (-5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 132 to 156.
Does Perry County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Perry County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.