Buffalo County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kearney, Gibbon and Ravenna
Buffalo County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Buffalo County, 8% of Nebraska's total. Buffalo County is home to Kearney, Gibbon, Ravenna and Shelton. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Horizon (368 MW). Construction employs 1,459, up 16.2% since 2019. Employers here counted 28,130 jobs in 2025, up 3.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Buffalo County
Buffalo County is home to Kearney, Gibbon, Ravenna and Shelton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Glenwood, Odessa, Poole.
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 Buffalo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 50,197 | 51,172 | ▲ 1.9% | 5th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27,159 | 28,130 | ▲ 3.6% | 23rd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,207 | $53,848 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,256 | 1,459 | ▲ 16.2% | 17th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 79% of it solar. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Buffalo County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 51,172 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020, 5th of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Buffalo County
Utilities with service territory in Buffalo 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% |
| Dawson Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,080 | 11.41¢ | 13% |
| Southern Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 15,215 | 9.21¢ | 27% |
| Custer Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,707 | 12.71¢ | 22% |
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 | 6 MW | 79% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 21% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney NPPD Solar Project | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2017 |
| Kearney | Nebraska Public Power District | Hydro | 2 MW | 1921 |
The Buffalo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,130 | $53,848 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,459 | $64,479 | 0.98 |
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 Buffalo County
3 data centers in Buffalo County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Horizon | approved amid opposition | 368 MW |
Buffalo County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Buffalo County, Adams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 51,172 | ▲ 3.6% | 7 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Adams County | 31,071 | ▲ 1.7% | 388 MW | — | — | — |
| Custer County | 10,500 | ▲ 0.8% | 166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dawson County | 24,452 | ▲ 2.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Hall County | 63,633 | ▲ 3.4% | 264 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Howard County | 6,538 | ▲ 1.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Kearney County | 6,790 | ▼ 7.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Phelps County | 8,994 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Sherman County | 2,924 | ▼ 12.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Buffalo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Buffalo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Dawson Power District, Southern Public Power District, Custer Public Power District. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Kearney, NE in?
Kearney is in Buffalo County, Nebraska. About 34,782 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Buffalo County?
2 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Kearney NPPD Solar Project (6 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Buffalo County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Buffalo County.
Is Buffalo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,130 jobs in 2025 against 27,159 in 2019 (+3.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,256 to 1,459.
Does Buffalo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Buffalo County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.