Adams County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hastings
Adams County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Adams County is home to Hastings, Kenesaw and Juniata. Construction employs 1,132, up 38.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 137, up 57.5% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $68,911 a year. Next door, Buffalo County has 3 data centers. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Adams County
Adams County is home to Hastings, Kenesaw and Juniata.
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 Adams County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,176 | 31,071 | ▼ 0.3% | 11th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,394 | 15,654 | ▲ 1.7% | 40th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,653 | $53,532 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 820 | 1,132 | ▲ 38.0% | 7th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 87 | 137 | ▲ 57.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Its power plants have 388 MW of capacity, 83% of it coal, the 10th largest fleet in Nebraska. Employers here counted 15,654 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. Southern Public Power District is the largest utility serving Adams County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.21¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. 31,071 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Adams County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Adams County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 15,215 | 9.21¢ | 27% |
| City of Hastings - (NE) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,611 | 11.32¢ | 26% |
| South Central Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 3,777 | 9.54¢ | 62% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 324 MW | 83% |
| Natural gas | 61 MW | 16% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 0% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whelan Energy Center | City of Hastings - (NE) | Coal | 324 MW | 1981 |
| North Denver | City of Hastings - (NE) | Natural gas | 39 MW | 1957 |
| Don Henry | City of Hastings - (NE) | Natural gas | 22 MW | 1972 |
| CCC Hastings Wind Turbine | CCC Hastings Renewable Energy, LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2016 |
| Hastings Community Solar Farm | City of Hastings - (NE) | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Adams County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,654 | $53,532 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,132 | $73,858 | 1.36 |
| Electrical contractors | 137 | $68,911 | 1.21 |
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 Adams County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Adams County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hall County, Kearney County.
Adams County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Adams County, Buffalo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 31,071 | ▲ 1.7% | 388 MW | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 51,172 | ▲ 3.6% | 7 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Clay County | 6,170 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 2,795 | ▲ 6.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Hall County | 63,633 | ▲ 3.4% | 264 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 9,678 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Kearney County | 6,790 | ▼ 7.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Webster County | 3,336 | ▲ 1.7% | 347 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Adams County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Adams County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Adams County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Public Power District, City of Hastings - (NE), South Central Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Southern Public Power District, charged residential customers 9.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hastings, NE in?
Hastings is in Adams County, Nebraska. About 25,121 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Adams County?
5 operating plants with 388 MW of capacity. The largest is Whelan Energy Center (324 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Adams County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Adams County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buffalo County.
Is Adams County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,654 jobs in 2025 against 15,394 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 820 to 1,132.
Does Adams County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Adams County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.