Will County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Joliet, Wheatland Township and Du Page Township
Will County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. 3,071 MW has retired here since 2019, including Joliet 29 (natural gas, 1,320 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 6,936 MW of capacity, 63% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in Illinois. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Will County. Will County is home to most of Joliet (137,691 of its 152,241 residents), Wheatland Township, Du Page Township and Joliet Township. 1,334 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Will County
Will County is home to most of Joliet (137,691 of its 152,241 residents), Wheatland Township, Du Page Township and Joliet Township.
And 16 smaller places.
- Joliet also extends into Kendall County.
- Bolingbrook also extends into DuPage County.
- Naperville also extends into DuPage County.
- Plainfield also extends into Kendall County.
- Aurora also extends into Kane County, DuPage County, Kendall County.
- Channahon also extends into Grundy County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Andres, Arbury Hills, Bonnie Brae, Crystal Lawns, Custer Park, Eagle Lake, Fairmont, Frankfort Square, Goodenow, Ingalls Park, Lakewood Shores, Lockport Heights, Lorenzo, Marley, Plum Valley, Preston Heights, Rest Haven, Ridgewood, Ritchie, Sunnyland, Willowbrook, Wilton Center.
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 Will County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 696,901 | 712,253 | ▲ 2.2% | 4th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 248,575 | 267,868 | ▲ 7.8% | 13th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,947 | $62,418 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,301 | 14,926 | ▲ 4.4% | 37th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 972 | 1,006 | ▲ 3.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 138 | 84 | ▼ 39.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.1% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,334 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3,071 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 17 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 30th of 57 by size |
17 MW of new generation is planned here across 5 units, led by Standard Solar (solar). 17 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Cook County has 122 data centers. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Construction employs 14,926, up 4.4% since 2019. Employers here counted 267,868 jobs in 2025, up 7.8% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,006, up 3.5% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $97,015 a year. Commonwealth Edison Co is the largest utility serving Will County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.22¢/kWh in 2024. 712,253 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020, 4th of 102 Illinois counties by population.
Who powers Will County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1,737 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Will 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% |
| City of Naperville - (IL) | Municipal | Bundled | 56,117 | 12.98¢ | 50% |
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 32
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 4,376 MW | 63% |
| Nuclear | 2,450 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 48 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 47 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 16 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braidwood Generation Station | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 2,450 MW | 1988 |
| Jackson Generation, LLC | Jackson Generation, LLC | Natural gas | 1,289 MW | 2022 |
| University Park North | LSP University Park LLC | Natural gas | 726 MW | 2002 |
| Lincoln Generating Facility | Lincoln Generating Facility LLC | Natural gas | 692 MW | 2000 |
| Elwood Energy LLC | Elwood Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 576 MW | 2001 |
| MPH Elwood | MPH Elwood, LLC | Natural gas | 384 MW | 2001 |
Planned generation 5
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falconhead Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dimension Energy LLC |
| IL2 - W109 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Madison Energy Investments LLC |
| AC IL - Lockport West | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Standard Solar |
| AC IL - Lockport East | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Standard Solar |
| Romeoville 34 - SLCHI234 - BSCHI234 | Batteries | 0 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet 29 | Natural gas | 1,320 MW | 2023 |
| MPH Elwood | Natural gas | 768 MW | 2026 |
| Will County | Coal | 598 MW | 2022 |
| Joliet 9 | Natural gas | 360 MW | 2023 |
The Will County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 267,868 | $62,418 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 14,926 | $96,911 | 1.05 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,006 | $97,015 | 0.52 |
| Data processing and hosting | 84 | $97,808 | 0.10 |
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 Will County
1 data center in Will County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Will County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Will County, Cook 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will County | 712,253 | ▲ 7.8% | 6,936 MW | 17 MW | 1 | — |
| Cook County | 5,194,625 | ▼ 0.5% | 1,364 MW | 35 MW | 122 | — |
| DuPage County | 934,298 | ▲ 1.8% | 1,107 MW | 14 MW | 57 | — |
| Grundy County | 54,052 | ▲ 11.9% | 3,548 MW | 25 MW | — | — |
| Kane County | 525,757 | ▲ 0.3% | 496 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Kankakee County | 105,525 | ▼ 7.0% | 248 MW | 320 MW | — | — |
| Kendall County | 145,470 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,266 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lake County IN | 504,612 | ▲ 1.4% | 1,160 MW | 100 MW | 7 | — |
More of Illinois
Will County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Will County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Will County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Commonwealth Edison Co, City of Naperville - (IL). The largest, Commonwealth Edison Co, charged residential customers 15.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Joliet, IL in?
Most of Joliet is in Will County: 137,691 of its 152,241 residents, or 90%. The rest of the city lies in Kendall County.
What county is Wheatland Township, IL in?
Wheatland Township is in Will County, Illinois. About 92,693 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Du Page Township, IL in?
Du Page Township is in Will County, Illinois. About 88,043 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Will County?
32 operating plants with 6,936 MW of capacity. The largest is Braidwood Generation Station (2,450 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Will County?
17 MW across 5 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 17 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Standard Solar.
Are there data centers in Will County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Will County.
Is Will County adding jobs?
Employers counted 267,868 jobs in 2025 against 248,575 in 2019 (+7.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 14,301 to 14,926.
Does Will County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Will County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.