Antelope County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Neligh
Antelope County hosts some of the generating capacity Nebraska runs on. Antelope County is home to Neligh and Elgin. Construction employs 193, down 6.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 300 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 818 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind, the 6th largest fleet in Nebraska. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Antelope County
Antelope County is home to Neligh and Elgin.
- Tilden also extends into Madison County.
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 Antelope County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,287 | 6,352 | ▲ 1.0% | 46th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,193 | 2,198 | ▲ 0.2% | 48th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,486 | $50,132 | ▲ 33.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 206 | 193 | ▼ 6.3% | 34th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.2% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 300 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Antelope County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 2,198 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 6,352 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Antelope County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +300 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Antelope County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,146 | 9.41¢ | 11% |
| City of Neligh - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Central Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 98% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 818 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderhead Wind Energy LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 300 MW | 2022 |
| Prairie Breeze | SunEdison LLC | Wind | 206 MW | 2014 |
| Upstream Wind Energy LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 202 MW | 2018 |
| Prairie Breeze II | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 73 MW | 2015 |
| Prairie Breeze III | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 36 MW | 2016 |
The Antelope County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,198 | $50,132 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 193 | $64,956 | 1.66 |
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 Antelope County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Antelope County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Antelope County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Antelope County, Holt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope County | 6,352 | ▲ 0.2% | 818 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 5,355 | ▲ 2.4% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Holt County | 10,067 | ▼ 2.0% | 402 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 36,106 | ▼ 0.6% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 7,378 | ▲ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Wheeler County | 789 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Antelope County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Antelope County, Nebraska?
5 utilities have service territory in Antelope County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist, City of Neligh - (NE), North Central Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Antelope County?
5 operating plants with 818 MW of capacity. The largest is Thunderhead Wind Energy LLC (300 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Antelope County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Antelope County.
Is Antelope County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,198 jobs in 2025 against 2,193 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 206 to 193.
Does Antelope County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Antelope County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.