Burt County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tekamah and Oakland
Burt County is where a large share of Nebraska's next power plants are planned. Burt County is home to Tekamah, Oakland, Everett Township and Lyons. 75 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by RWE Clean Energy (wind), the 5th largest pipeline among Nebraska's counties. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 64% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Burt County
Burt County is home to Tekamah, Oakland, Everett Township and Lyons.
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 Burt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,721 | 6,678 | ▼ 0.6% | 44th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,786 | 1,734 | ▼ 2.9% | 68th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,582 | $46,653 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91 | 78 | ▼ 14.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10 | 8 | ▼ 20.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 2.8% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 75 MW | 1923% of today's fleet | 5th of 8 by size |
Employers here counted 1,734 jobs in 2025, down 2.9% from 2019. Omaha Public Power District is the largest utility serving Burt County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.36¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. 6,678 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 8, down 20.0% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $42,000 a year.
Who powers Burt County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Burt County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 362,918 | 12.36¢ | 48% |
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Burt County Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cuming County Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Decatur - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lyons - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 64% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 18% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons | City of Lyons - (NE) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1953 |
| Burt County Solar Hybrid | BCSB, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burt County Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 75 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | RWE Clean Energy |
The Burt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,734 | $46,653 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 78 | $46,273 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 8 | $42,000 | 0.64 |
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 Burt County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Burt County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Burt County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Burt County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burt County | 6,678 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| Cuming County | 8,823 | ▲ 3.9% | 10 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Dodge County | 38,057 | ▲ 5.8% | 178 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County IA | 14,623 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Monona County IA | 8,539 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Thurston County | 6,752 | ▲ 9.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 21,302 | ▲ 10.0% | 5 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Burt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Burt County, Nebraska?
6 utilities have service territory in Burt County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska Public Power District, Burt County Public Power Dist, Cuming County Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Omaha Public Power District, charged residential customers 12.36¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Burt County?
2 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Lyons (2 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Burt County?
75 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is RWE Clean Energy.
Are there data centers in Burt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Burt County.
Is Burt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,734 jobs in 2025 against 1,786 in 2019 (-2.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 91 to 78.
Does Burt County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Burt County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.