Randolph County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chester, Sparta and Red Bud
Randolph County hosts some of the generating capacity Illinois runs on. Randolph County is home to Chester, Sparta, Red Bud and Steeleville. Owners plan to retire 1,260 MW more by 2035, led by Baldwin Energy Complex in 2027. 634 MW has retired here since 2019, including Baldwin Energy Complex (coal, 634 MW, 2020). Its power plants have 1,504 MW of capacity, 84% of it coal, the 9th largest fleet in Illinois. Employers here counted 11,252 jobs in 2025, down 9.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Randolph County
Randolph County is home to Chester, Sparta, Red Bud and Steeleville.
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 Randolph County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,091 | 29,921 | ▼ 0.6% | 47th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,417 | 11,252 | ▼ 9.4% | 90th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,701 | $59,704 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 464 | 425 | ▼ 8.4% | 53rd of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 20 | ▼ 64.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 229 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 634 MW | — |
Construction employs 425, down 8.4% since 2019. 229 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Randolph County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 29,921 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 20, down 64.9% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $84,049 a year.
Who powers Randolph County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −405 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Randolph 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% |
| Egyptian Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,707 | 15.53¢ | 42% |
| Monroe County Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Red Bud - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,260 MW | 84% |
| Solar | 227 MW | 15% |
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Energy Complex | Dynegy Midwest Generation Inc | Coal | 1,260 MW | 1970 |
| Tilden Solar | Sol Systems | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Baldwin Solar BESS | Vistra Corp | Solar | 70 MW | 2024 |
| Red Bud | City of Red Bud - (IL) | Petroleum | 15 MW | 1959 |
| IL - Nexamp Percy (CSG) | Percy Renewables 1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
| SV CSG Wagner A LLC | SunVest Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Energy Complex | Coal | 634 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Energy Complex | Coal | 1,260 MW | 2027 |
The Randolph County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,252 | $59,704 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 425 | $69,361 | 0.71 |
| Electrical contractors | 20 | $84,049 | 0.25 |
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 Randolph County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Randolph County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Randolph County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Randolph County, St. Clair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 29,921 | ▼ 9.4% | 1,504 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 52,501 | ▲ 11.0% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County | 34,840 | ▲ 1.4% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 20,160 | ▼ 5.2% | 535 MW | 168 MW | — | — |
| Perry County MO | 19,093 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Clair County | 250,708 | ▼ 3.2% | 1,821 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Ste. Genevieve County MO | 18,689 | ▲ 9.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 13,564 | ▼ 6.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Randolph County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Randolph County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Randolph County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Egyptian Electric Coop Assn, Monroe County Elec Coop, Inc, City of Red Bud - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Randolph County?
7 operating plants with 1,504 MW of capacity. The largest is Baldwin Energy Complex (1,260 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Randolph County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Randolph County.
Is Randolph County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,252 jobs in 2025 against 12,417 in 2019 (-9.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 464 to 425.
Does Randolph County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Randolph County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.