In short: Decatur has about 68,800 people and sits in Macon County. Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation and Shelby Electric Coop, Inc serves different parts of Macon County, so your utility depends on your address; their 2024 home averages range from 15.26¢ to 18.63¢ per kWh (EIA). FEMA rates Macon County cold waves “relatively high”. Rooftop solar here makes roughly 1,190 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, which is about average for the U.S..
This page covers what is local to Decatur: its utility, outage records, sunshine, weather risks and charging. Statewide rules such as net metering, incentives and electrician licensing are in our Illinois energy guide.
Decatur at a glance
- Place: Decatur, Macon County, Illinois; about 68,763 residents (Census Bureau estimate, July 2024).
- Utility: Ameren Illinois Company (investor-owned). Homes paid an average 15.26¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 121 minutes of power on normal days and 224 counting major storms, with 0.9 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Decatur).
- Utility: Corn Belt Energy Corporation (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 15.76¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861); the average customer lost 152 minutes of power on normal days and 312 counting major storms, with 4.7 interruptions a year (utility-wide, not just Decatur).
- Utility: Shelby Electric Coop, Inc (member-owned cooperative). Homes paid an average 18.63¢ per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861) (utility-wide, not just Decatur).
- Sun: 4.07 kWh per square meter per day on average, from 1.60 in December to 6.39 in June (NASA POWER). Our rough estimate: about 1,190 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Climate: about 1,080 cooling degree-days and 5,560 heating degree-days a year (base 65°F, NASA POWER), so heating is the big load.
- Top hazards in Macon County: cold waves “relatively high”, strong winds “relatively high” and heat waves “relatively moderate” (FEMA National Risk Index; overall county risk rated “relatively moderate”).
- Public charging: 26 ports at 14 locations in Decatur, 14 of them DC fast (AFDC, October 20, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Ameren Illinois Company is an investor-owned utility and served about 520,498 home customers in 2024; its 15.26¢ average was below the 19.22¢ statewide average for July 2026. Corn Belt Energy Corporation is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 34,710 home customers in 2024; its 15.76¢ average was below the 19.22¢ statewide average for July 2026. Shelby Electric Coop, Inc is a member-owned cooperative utility and served about 9,871 home customers in 2024; its 18.63¢ average was below the 19.22¢ statewide average for July 2026. Those are utility-wide averages, not a quote for your address; your own bill is the real number.
For reliability, Corn Belt Energy Corporation reported 152 minutes per customer without major storms in 2024, more than the statewide figure of 59 (EIA-861). Utility-wide numbers hide a lot: a home at the end of a long rural line usually has more outages than the average.
Net metering, export rates and incentives are set at state level and by each utility. Start with the Illinois guide and then ask your utility for its current interconnection steps before you sign anything.
Backup power in Decatur
- Cold waves (relatively high): Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator.
- Strong winds (relatively high): High winds knock out lines on ordinary days. A battery or portable power station handles the common short outages; add a generator for multi-day repairs.
- Heating load: a winter outage can stop a furnace blower, boiler pump or heat pump. List what your heat needs to run before choosing a generator or battery.
- Short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and lights; a home battery switches over automatically.
Size your setup with the generator sizing tool and the battery backup calculator, and compare options in backup power. Generator safety (CPSC): outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage, and battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms inside. A licensed electrician should install any transfer switch, with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Decatur
By our rough estimate each kW of panels makes about 1,190 kWh a year in Decatur (NASA sunshine data times 365 days times 0.80 for system losses). Valued at Ameren Illinois Company’s 2024 average of 15.26¢, that is about $182 a year per kW if all of it offsets your own use (an estimate, not a promise). Production swings with the seasons: June is the sunniest month at 6.39 and December the dimmest at 1.60, a 4.0-to-1 gap, so a battery or a bigger system helps in winter.
Check your own roof with the solar potential tool, see solar costs and net metering vs net billing, and read the steps in solar installation. Hail and storm exposure are worth raising with installers and your insurer.
Batteries and EV charging
A home battery earns its place when outages are frequent, when your utility pays little for exported solar, or when evening prices are high; compare in home batteries and battery costs. Decatur has 26 public charging ports in the federal station list including 14 DC fast, but home charging is cheaper and easier: see the EV charging cost calculator and EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Decatur: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
Solar, generator transfer switches and EV chargers normally need an electrical permit from the Decatur building or permitting department, or from Macon County if you live outside city limits, and often a utility interconnection approval. We have not verified a local permit page for Decatur, so check the city and county websites or ask your electrician, who will know the process. Hire only a licensed electrician or installer; the Illinois guide lists the state licensing rules.
Nearby guides
More local guides: Springfield, Champaign and Bloomington, or the whole Illinois energy guide.
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Decatur? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Decatur area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Decatur energy FAQ
Who is my electric company in Decatur?
Ameren Illinois Company, Corn Belt Energy Corporation and Shelby Electric Coop, Inc all serve parts of Macon County. Which one serves you depends on your street, so check the top of your bill. Their 2024 home price averages differ (Ameren Illinois Company 15.26¢, Corn Belt Energy Corporation 15.76¢, Shelby Electric Coop, Inc 18.63¢) so it matters for solar math.
How much power will solar make in Decatur?
About 1,190 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate, so a 6 kW system would make roughly 7,140 kWh. Shade, roof direction and tilt change this; run your address through the solar potential tool for a better number.
Is a generator or a battery better for cold waves in Macon County?
It depends how long the outage lasts. A battery is quiet, automatic and good for short outages and for pairing with solar; a standby generator keeps going as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day events. Many homes use a battery for everyday outages and add a generator for the rare long one.
Will a home battery keep my heat on in an outage?
It can keep a furnace blower, boiler pump or a heat pump running for a while, but long cold outages drain a battery fast without solar to recharge it. Pair it with a generator or wood or propane heat if outages here run for days.
Do I need a permit for solar or a generator in Decatur?
Almost always an electrical permit for a transfer switch, solar or an EV charger, issued by the city or county where you live. Your licensed electrician or installer normally pulls it. Never connect a generator to your house wiring without a transfer switch.
Sources: EIA Form 861 (2024) for utility prices and outages; NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2025) for sun and degree-days; FEMA National Risk Index for county hazards; AFDC station locator for public charging; Census Bureau for population. Estimates are ours and are not promises; see our editorial policy. Prices and programs change, so check each program page.