Power Supply Chain and Demand in Nebraska
SPP runs most of Nebraska's grid. 2,146 MW of new generation is planned in Nebraska, 63 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 291 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 39 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 12.90¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +7.2% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, and construction employment is +26.8% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 23 local moratoria or restrictions for Nebraska across all statuses (19 in force) and 2 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Nebraska
Nebraska is building power faster than most states, and the jobs data shows it. Commercial electricity sales, the class that includes data centers, are +20.3% year to date, 1st in the country. Power and communication line construction jobs grew 58.6% from 2019 to 2025 (7th of 44). Construction employment is +26.8% against August 2019, 8th of 48 states where BLS publishes it. Pushback is organized: the SAVRN trackers hold 23 local moratoria or restrictions in Nebraska, 22nd in the country. Factory employment is the exception: manufacturing jobs are -2.1% against August 2019.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 54.1k | 68.6k | ▲ 26.8% | 8th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,760 | 9,121 | ▲ 17.5% | 29th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,151 | 1,825 | ▲ 58.6% | 7th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,142 | 2,196 | ▼ 47.0% | 46th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 3.0% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 12.03¢ | 12.90¢ | ▲ 7.2% | 27th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 12.1 GW operating | 2.1 GW planned | 18% of fleet | 17th of 51 |
Where Nebraska ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Among its neighbors, Nebraska leads on commercial electricity sales, ytd change (+20.3%), ahead of Wyoming (+5.8%).
County spotlight
Douglas County holds the most data centers on record in Nebraska (16), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +1.5% since 2019 to 3,302 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Lancaster County: 852 MW, led by Nebraska Public Power District (natural gas).
Where Nebraska sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- SPP
- Operating capacity
- 12.1 GW
- Planned generation
- 2,146 MW
- Under construction or built
- 63 MW
- Data centers identified
- 39
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 2.9%
- Residential price change
- +7.2%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Nebraska, county by county
93 counties in Nebraska. Planned generation sits in 8 of them, data centers stand in 4, and local measures are on record in 21. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 44
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarpy County | 16 | 272 MW | 8 MW | Omaha Public Power District | 1,018 | — | — | — | |
| Douglas County | 16 | — | — | — | 3,302 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | |
| Lancaster County | 3 | 852 MW | — | Nebraska Public Power District | 1,548 | ▲ 26.2% | 1 (0 in force) | 1 | |
| Buffalo County | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
| Cass County | — | 792 MW | — | Omaha Public Power District | 111 | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Washington County | — | 100 MW | — | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | 56 | ▲ 86.7% | — | — | |
| Burt County | — | 75 MW | — | RWE Clean Energy | 8 | ▼ 20.0% | — | — | |
| Jefferson County | — | 50 MW | 50 MW | Steele Flats Energy Storage, LLC | 37 | ▲ 12.1% | — | — | |
| Johnson County | — | 4 MW | 4 MW | City of Tecumseh - (NE) | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Cuming County | — | 2 MW | 2 MW | City of Wisner (NE) | — | — | — | — | |
| Hall County | — | — | — | — | 290 | ▼ 9.1% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Platte County | — | — | — | — | 288 | ▲ 140.0% | — | — | |
| Madison County | — | — | — | — | 186 | ▲ 10.1% | — | — | |
| Saunders County | — | — | — | — | 144 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | |
| Adams County | — | — | — | — | 137 | ▲ 57.5% | — | — | |
| Dawson County | — | — | — | — | 80 | ▲ 29.0% | — | — | |
| Butler County | — | — | — | — | 56 | ▲ 80.6% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Seward County | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Hamilton County | — | — | — | — | 44 | — | — | — | |
| Custer County | — | — | — | — | 43 | ▲ 19.4% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Cedar County | — | — | — | — | 29 | ▲ 31.8% | — | — | |
| Holt County | — | — | — | — | 26 | ▼ 29.7% | — | — | |
| Brown County | — | — | — | — | 18 | ▲ 38.5% | — | — | |
| Dawes County | — | — | — | — | 13 | ▲ 8.3% | — | — | |
| Thayer County | — | — | — | — | 13 | ▼ 18.8% | — | — | |
| Knox County | — | — | — | — | 12 | ▲ 33.3% | — | — | |
| Colfax County | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Pierce County | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Keith County | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | |
| Richardson County | — | — | — | — | 6 | ▼ 14.3% | — | — | |
| Nance County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Garfield County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Fillmore County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Harlan County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Kearney County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Otoe County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Box Butte County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Hayes County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Cherry County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Furnas County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Gage County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Logan County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Dundy County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Lincoln County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — |
Every county in Nebraska 93
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 10
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | Douglas County | 12 | — | — | — | |
| Papillion | Sarpy County | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Lincoln | Lancaster County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Bellevue | Sarpy County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Kearney | Buffalo County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Springfield | Sarpy County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| La Vista | Sarpy County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| W. Bellevue | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Broken Bow | Custer County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Broken Bow data center moratorium In force | |
| Nehawka | Cass County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Town moratorium on data centers with no end date In force |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Nebraska, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- Record peak (Aug 2023)
- 56 GW
- 2026 ITP Future 2 peak 2035
- 110 GW
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 12.1 GW
- Planned, all types
- 2,146 MW
- Under construction or built
- 63 MW
- Planned gas
- 1,916 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 291 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- -228 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 39
- Operators
- 20
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 0
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- +20.3%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.5%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 2.9% (+0.0 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +26.8%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -2.1%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +17.5%
- Electrician median pay
- $60,820
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.01×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 12.90¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +7.2%
- All-sector price change
- +4.2%
- Total retail sales change
- +8.8%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 7
- Local measures (in force)
- 23 (19)
- Watchlist projects
- 2
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- —
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in Nebraska
Every planned generator in Nebraska in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 23 | 1,916 MW | 8 MW |
| Solar | 1 | 100 MW | — |
| Wind | 1 | 75 MW | — |
| Battery storage | 1 | 50 MW | 50 MW |
| Other | 3 | 6 MW | 6 MW |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton Road Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 265 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 265 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Turtle Creek | Sarpy | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 264 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Cass County | Cass | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 264 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Cass County | Cass | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 264 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Cass County | Cass | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 264 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Big Elk Solar | Washington | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
| Burt County Wind | Burt | Onshore Wind Turbine | 75 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | RWE Clean Energy |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 52 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Lincoln Electric System |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 52 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Lincoln Electric System |
| Steele Flats Energy Storage | Jefferson | Batteries | 50 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Steele Flats Energy Storage, LLC |
| Princeton Road Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Lancaster | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
What the Nebraska build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Nebraska, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public Power District | 4 | 1,056 MW | — | Natural gas | 2 |
| Nebraska Public Power District | 14 | 748 MW | — | Natural gas | 1 |
| Lincoln Electric System | 2 | 104 MW | — | Natural gas | 1 |
| Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | 1 | 100 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| RWE Clean Energy | 1 | 75 MW | — | Wind | 1 |
| Steele Flats Energy Storage, LLC | 1 | 50 MW | 50 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| City of Omaha - (NE) | 3 | 8 MW | 8 MW | Natural gas | 1 |
| City of Tecumseh - (NE) | 2 | 4 MW | 4 MW | Other | 1 |
| City of Wisner (NE) | 1 | 2 MW | 2 MW | Other | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Nebraska footprint 2
| Tier | Company | Segment | What the record says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grid equipment OEM | Eaton | Switchgear | New 370,000 sq ft Omaha-area switchgear facility, production 2027 | |
| Grid equipment OEM | Eaton | MV switchgear (Bellevue, NE) | $30 million medium-voltage switchgear plant in Bellevue, Nebraska |
Order-by check derived
10 of the 10 planned units of 50 MW or more in Nebraska that are not yet under construction (1,866 of 1,866 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date, and 6 gas units are (1,587 MW) past the turbine order date as well. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton Road Station | Natural gas | 265 MW | Dec 2029 | Nov 2026 | Dec 2024 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural gas | 265 MW | Dec 2029 | Nov 2026 | Dec 2024 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Turtle Creek | Natural gas | 264 MW | Aug 2028 | Jul 2025 | Aug 2023 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Cass County | Natural gas | 264 MW | Feb 2029 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2024 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Cass County | Natural gas | 264 MW | Feb 2029 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2024 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Cass County | Natural gas | 264 MW | Feb 2029 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2024 | Omaha Public Power District |
| Big Elk Solar | Solar | 100 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
| Burt County Wind | Wind | 75 MW | Jul 2027 | Jun 2024 | — | RWE Clean Energy |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Natural gas | 52 MW | Jun 2029 | May 2026 | — | Lincoln Electric System |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Natural gas | 52 MW | Jun 2029 | May 2026 | — | Lincoln Electric System |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Nebraska
39 data centers run by 20 operators are identified in Nebraska. The full list by city is on the Nebraska Data Center Map page. Utilities report 0 large customer projects here to EEI.
No large customer projects reported to EEI for this state.
The Nebraska jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 1,062.7k | ▲ 0.2% | ▲ 3.4% (+34.5k) |
| Construction | 68.6k | ▲ 6.7% | ▲ 26.8% (+14.5k) |
| Manufacturing | 97.3k | ▼ 4.9% | ▼ 2.1% (-2.1k) |
| Mining and logging | 1.0k | ● 0.0% | ● 0.0% (+0.0k) |
| Retail trade | 102.3k | ▼ 1.2% | ▼ 2.6% (-2.7k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 4,142 | 2,196 | ▼ 47.0% | $128,649 |
| Electrical contractors | 7,760 | 9,121 | ▲ 17.5% | $75,762 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,151 | 1,825 | ▲ 58.6% | $78,286 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 272 | — | $118,064 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 20,650 | $30,250 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 30,060 | $29,000 | 0.96× |
| Retail salespersons | 22,780 | $31,870 | 1.05× |
| All occupations | 1,024,370 | $48,980 | 1.62× |
| Construction laborers | 8,530 | $47,260 | 1.56× |
| Welders | 4,200 | $52,220 | 1.73× |
| HVAC mechanics | 3,020 | $59,850 | 1.98× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 4,110 | $60,970 | 2.02× |
| Electricians | 6,440 | $60,820 | 2.01× |
| Power plant operators | 360 | $98,210 | 3.25× |
| Power-line installers | 1,490 | $92,150 | 3.05× |
| Construction supervisors | 6,020 | $75,570 | 2.50× |
| Electrical engineers | 1,060 | $107,260 | 3.55× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Nebraska
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in Nebraska
State measures 7
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Order 26-17 | Ends ImagiNE Act tax incentives for new data centers | In force | 2026-07 | |
| State of Nebraska | Nebraska: Gov. Jim Pillen signed an executive order ending future ImagiNE Nebraska Act tax incentives for new data-center applications | In force | 2026-07 | |
| LB 1131 | Adopt the Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Service Providers Tax Credit Act and eliminate personal property tax and sales and use tax exemptions | Failed / vetoed | 2026-04 | |
| LB 468 | Change provisions relating to inheritance taxes, change certain fee and tax provisions, and eliminate a sales tax exemption relating to data centers | Failed / vetoed | 2026-04 | |
| Nebraska | Nebraska: LB1261 was signed April 10, 2026, allowing private developers to build and own power plants to serve large-scale electricity users like data centers | In force | 2026-03 | |
| LB 1319 | Eliminate a sales and use tax exemption relating to data centers | Failed / vetoed | 2024-04 | |
| LB 209 | Provide tax exemptions relating to data centers | Failed / vetoed | 2024-04 |
Delay Watchlist projects 2
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Horizon | Kearney (Buffalo County) | approved amid opposition | 368 MW | ||
| Coffee Grounds Data LLC land option | Lancaster County (northwest Lincoln) | pending review | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (23) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Nebraska Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Nebraska's neighbors
Nebraska power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Nebraska?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 2,146 MW of planned generators in Nebraska, 63 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is natural gas 89%, solar 5%, wind 3%. The largest single unit is Princeton Road Station (265 MW, Nebraska Public Power District). Owners plan to retire 291 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Nebraska?
SPP serves most of Nebraska as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is planned generation in Nebraska on schedule?
10 of 10 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date, and 6 gas units are past the turbine order date (about five years). They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in Nebraska?
Construction employment is +26.8% against August 2019. Electrical contractor jobs went from 7,760 in 2019 to 9,121 in 2025 (+17.5%, 29th in the country).
What do electricians earn in Nebraska?
The median electrician in Nebraska earned $60,820 in May 2025, 2.01 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $92,150 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in Nebraska have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Lancaster County (852 MW), Cass County (792 MW), Sarpy County (272 MW).
Are electricity prices rising in Nebraska?
Residential electricity averaged 12.90¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +7.2% on a year earlier, the 27th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed +20.3%.
Does Nebraska have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 7 state-level measures (3 enacted) and 23 local moratoria or restrictions in Nebraska, 19 of them in force, 22nd most in the country.
Nebraska across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.