Dodge County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fremont, Platte Township and North Bend
Dodge County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Dodge County is home to Fremont, Platte Township, North Bend and Hooper Township. Next door, Douglas County has 16 data centers. Construction employs 941, up 11.9% since 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Employers here counted 18,382 jobs in 2025, up 5.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Dodge County
Dodge County is home to Fremont, Platte Township, North Bend and Hooper Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ames.
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 Dodge County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,099 | 38,057 | ▲ 2.6% | 6th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,378 | 18,382 | ▲ 5.8% | 19th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,406 | $55,425 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 841 | 941 | ▲ 11.9% | 23rd of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 2.4% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 178 MW of capacity, 73% of it coal. Omaha Public Power District is the largest utility serving Dodge 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. 38,057 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 6th of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Dodge County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dodge 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% |
| City of Fremont - (NE) | Municipal | Bundled | 14,077 | 11.97¢ | 11% |
| Burt County Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cuming County Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Scribner - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Snyder - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 130 MW | 73% |
| Natural gas | 40 MW | 23% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 2% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lon Wright | City of Fremont - (NE) | Coal | 172 MW | 1957 |
| Scribner Diesel Generation Facility | City of Scribner (NE) | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2020 |
| Dodge County Solar Hybrid | BCSB, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Dodge County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,382 | $55,425 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 941 | $68,544 | 0.97 |
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 Dodge County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dodge County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Butler County.
Dodge County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dodge County, Douglas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge County | 38,057 | ▲ 5.8% | 178 MW | — | — | — |
| Burt County | 6,678 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| Butler County | 8,507 | ▲ 2.8% | 11 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Colfax County | 10,934 | ▼ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Cuming County | 8,823 | ▲ 3.9% | 10 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Douglas County | 606,460 | ● 0.0% | 941 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Saunders County | 23,702 | ▲ 9.8% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 21,302 | ▲ 10.0% | 5 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Dodge County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dodge County, Nebraska?
6 utilities have service territory in Dodge County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Omaha Public Power District, City of Fremont - (NE), 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 county is Fremont, NE in?
Fremont is in Dodge County, Nebraska. About 28,350 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dodge County?
3 operating plants with 178 MW of capacity. The largest is Lon Wright (172 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Dodge County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dodge County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Douglas County.
Is Dodge County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,382 jobs in 2025 against 17,378 in 2019 (+5.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 841 to 941.
Does Dodge County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dodge County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.