Richland County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Olney Township, Olney and Noble Township
New generation is lining up in Richland County. Richland County is home to Olney Township, Olney, Noble Township and Preston Township. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SV CSG Diel 1, LLC (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 123, up 17.1% since 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Richland County
Richland County is home to Olney Township, Olney, Noble Township and Preston Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dundas.
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 Richland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,808 | 15,219 | ▼ 3.7% | 69th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,831 | 5,731 | ▼ 1.7% | 59th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,265 | $51,334 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 105 | 123 | ▲ 17.1% | 22nd of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11 | 7 | ▼ 36.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 250% of today's fleet | 43rd of 57 by size |
Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 5,731 jobs in 2025, down 1.7% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Richland County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 15,219 people live here, down 3.7% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 7, down 36.4% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $47,923 a year.
Who powers Richland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Richland 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% |
| Norris Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,074 | 15.08¢ | 26% |
| Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,957 | 16.58¢ | 21% |
| Clay Electric Coop Inc - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olney Solar II CSG | Olney Solar II, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SV CSG Diel 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | SV CSG Diel 1, LLC |
The Richland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,731 | $51,334 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 123 | $46,879 | 0.41 |
| Electrical contractors | 7 | $47,923 | 0.17 |
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 Richland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Richland County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Lawrence County.
Richland County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Richland County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 15,219 | ▼ 1.7% | 2 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Clay County | 12,793 | ▼ 9.9% | 726 MW | 127 MW | — | — |
| Crawford County | 18,648 | ▲ 8.2% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Edwards County | 5,898 | ▼ 27.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 9,032 | ▲ 5.2% | 671 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 13,790 | ▼ 11.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wabash County | 10,907 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 15,882 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Illinois
Richland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richland County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Richland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Norris Electric Coop, Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop, Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Richland County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Olney Solar II CSG (2 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Richland County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SV CSG Diel 1, LLC.
Are there data centers in Richland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Richland County.
Is Richland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,731 jobs in 2025 against 5,831 in 2019 (-1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 105 to 123.
Does Richland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richland County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.