Cedar County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hartington
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cedar County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cedar County is home to Hartington, Laurel, Randolph and Coleridge. Electrical contractors employ 29, up 31.8% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $48,519 a year. Construction employs 183, up 12.3% since 2019. Next door, Yankton County, South Dakota, has 2 data centers. Its power plants have 136 MW of capacity, 97% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Cedar County
Cedar County is home to Hartington, Laurel, Randolph and Coleridge.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aten, Bow Valley.
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 Cedar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,373 | 8,373 | ● 0.0% | 33rd of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,645 | 2,707 | ▲ 2.3% | 33rd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,870 | $46,163 | ▲ 25.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 163 | 183 | ▲ 12.3% | 22nd of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 29 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,707 jobs in 2025, up 2.3% from 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Cedar County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. 8,373 people live here, up 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Cedar County
Utilities with service territory in Cedar 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% |
| Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 5,556 | 8.44¢ | 50% |
| City of Laurel - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Randolph - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 132 MW | 97% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavins Point | USACE-Omaha | Hydro | 132 MW | 1956 |
| Laurel | City of Laurel - (NE) | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1970 |
The Cedar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,707 | $46,163 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 183 | $55,744 | 1.28 |
| Electrical contractors | 29 | $48,519 | 1.49 |
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 Cedar County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cedar County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Yankton County.
Cedar County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cedar County, Yankton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar County | 8,373 | ▲ 2.3% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County SD | 15,031 | ▲ 0.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Dixon County | 5,602 | ▼ 3.1% | 324 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 7,378 | ▲ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,020 | ▼ 5.9% | 710 MW | — | — | — |
| Yankton County SD | 23,635 | ▼ 0.2% | 233 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
More of Nebraska
Cedar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cedar County, Nebraska?
5 utilities have service territory in Cedar County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist, City of Laurel - (NE), City of Randolph - (NE). The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cedar County?
2 operating plants with 136 MW of capacity. The largest is Gavins Point (132 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Cedar County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cedar County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Yankton County.
Is Cedar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,707 jobs in 2025 against 2,645 in 2019 (+2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 163 to 183.
Does Cedar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cedar County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.