Box Butte County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alliance
Box Butte County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Box Butte County is home to Alliance and Hemingford. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers”. Construction employs 139, up 3.0% since 2019. 9 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 9 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Box Butte County
Box Butte County is home to Alliance and Hemingford.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Berea.
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 Box Butte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,821 | 10,494 | ▼ 3.0% | 24th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,754 | 3,726 | ▼ 0.7% | 54th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,665 | $48,782 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 135 | 139 | ▲ 3.0% | 31st of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 9 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Box Butte County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 3,726 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 10,494 people live here, down 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Box Butte County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Box Butte 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% |
| City of Alliance- (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chimney Rock Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Hemingford - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northwest Rural Pub Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Panhandle Rural El Member Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 9 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Solar | SE Municipal Nebraska, LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2025 |
| VS Hemingford NE Solar LLC | Valta Energy | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Box Butte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,726 | $48,782 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 139 | $58,127 | 0.70 |
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 Box Butte County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers | In force | — |
Box Butte County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Box Butte County, Scotts Bluff 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Butte County | 10,494 | ▼ 0.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dawes County | 7,858 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Morrill County | 4,404 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Scotts Bluff County | 35,586 | ▼ 2.3% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Sheridan County | 4,809 | ▲ 2.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 1,188 | ▲ 16.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Box Butte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Box Butte County, Nebraska?
7 utilities have service territory in Box Butte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, City of Alliance- (NE), Chimney Rock Public Power Dist, Village of Hemingford - (NE). The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Box Butte County?
2 operating plants with 9 MW of capacity. The largest is Alliance Solar (8 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Box Butte County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Box Butte County.
Is Box Butte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,726 jobs in 2025 against 3,754 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 135 to 139.
Does Box Butte County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Box Butte County, 1 in force.