Piatt County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Monticello Township, Monticello and Sangamon Township
Piatt County hosts some of the generating capacity Illinois runs on. Construction employs 206, up 43.1% since 2019. Piatt County is home to Monticello Township, Monticello, Sangamon Township and Cerro Gordo Township. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Madden Creek Solar, LLC (solar). Next door, Champaign County has 5 data centers. 304 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Piatt County
Piatt County is home to Monticello Township, Monticello, Sangamon Township and Cerro Gordo Township.
- Atwood also extends into Douglas County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): LaPlace, White Heath.
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 Piatt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,688 | 16,791 | ▲ 0.6% | 62nd of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,597 | 3,776 | ▲ 5.0% | 22nd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,481 | $50,198 | ▲ 41.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 144 | 206 | ▲ 43.1% | 6th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 304 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 42nd of 57 by size |
Its power plants have 988 MW of capacity, 69% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 3,776 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Piatt County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 16,791 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Piatt County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +304 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Piatt 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% |
| Corn Belt Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,710 | 15.76¢ | 28% |
| Eastern Illinois Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,115 | 17.10¢ | 22% |
| Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,456 | 17.14¢ | 25% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 684 MW | 69% |
| Wind | 300 MW | 30% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Creek Energy Center | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Natural gas | 684 MW | 2003 |
| Prosperity Wind | Prosperity Wind, LLC | Wind | 300 MW | 2025 |
| NL IL - Piatt 1 - East CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| NL IL - Piatt 2 - West CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madden Creek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Madden Creek Solar, LLC |
The Piatt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,776 | $50,198 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 206 | $62,165 | 1.03 |
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 Piatt County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Piatt County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Champaign County, Macon County.
Piatt County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Piatt County, Champaign 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piatt County | 16,791 | ▲ 5.0% | 988 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Champaign County | 209,972 | ▲ 3.9% | 272 MW | 8 MW | 5 | 1 |
| De Witt County | 15,118 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 19,880 | ▲ 1.3% | 204 MW | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 99,300 | ▼ 6.4% | 422 MW | 2 MW | 2 | 1 |
| McLean County | 171,419 | ▲ 5.8% | 796 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Moultrie County | 14,371 | ▼ 1.0% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Piatt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Piatt County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Piatt County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation, Eastern Illinois Elec Coop, Coles-Moultrie Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Piatt County?
4 operating plants with 988 MW of capacity. The largest is Goose Creek Energy Center (684 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Piatt County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Madden Creek Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Piatt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Piatt County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Champaign County.
Is Piatt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,776 jobs in 2025 against 3,597 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 144 to 206.
Does Piatt County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Piatt County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.