Douglas County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Omaha, Ralston and Valley
Douglas County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 16 data centers in Douglas County, 41% of Nebraska's total. Douglas County is home to Omaha, Ralston, Valley and Bennington. Construction employs 19,462, up 11.8% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 291 MW more by 2035, led by North Omaha in 2026. Its power plants have 941 MW of capacity, 48% of it natural gas, the 3rd largest fleet in Nebraska.
Cities and towns in Douglas County
Douglas County is home to Omaha, Ralston, Valley and Bennington.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): King Lake, Venice.
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 Douglas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 585,428 | 606,460 | ▲ 3.6% | 1st of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 341,763 | 341,754 | ● 0.0% | 50th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,281 | $69,939 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,413 | 19,462 | ▲ 11.8% | 24th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,252 | 3,302 | ▲ 1.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 283 | 348 | ▲ 23.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,647 | 582 | ▼ 84.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 163 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
163 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Elk City Station (other technologies, 6 MW, 2025). Electrical contractors employ 3,302, up 1.5% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $82,984 a year. Omaha Public Power District is the largest utility serving Douglas County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.36¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. Employers here counted 341,754 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 606,460 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020, 1st of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Douglas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +156 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Douglas 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% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 454 MW | 48% |
| Coal | 354 MW | 38% |
| Petroleum | 130 MW | 14% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Omaha | Omaha Public Power District | Natural gas | 645 MW | 1954 |
| Standing Bear Lake | Omaha Public Power District | Natural gas | 163 MW | 2025 |
| Jones Street | Omaha Public Power District | Petroleum | 130 MW | 1973 |
| Missouri River Wastewater Treatment | City of Omaha - (NE) | Other technologies | 3 MW | 1985 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk City Station | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Omaha | Natural gas | 291 MW | 2026 |
The Douglas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 341,754 | $69,939 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 19,462 | $77,888 | 1.07 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,302 | $82,984 | 1.34 |
| Power and communication line construction | 348 | $79,942 | 0.63 |
| Data processing and hosting | 582 | $116,532 | 0.55 |
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 Douglas County
16 data centers in Douglas County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Douglas County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Douglas County, Sarpy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 606,460 | ● 0.0% | 941 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Dodge County | 38,057 | ▲ 5.8% | 178 MW | — | — | — |
| Pottawattamie County IA | 92,996 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,814 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Sarpy County | 208,303 | ▲ 14.0% | 866 MW | 272 MW | 16 | — |
| Saunders County | 23,702 | ▲ 9.8% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 21,302 | ▲ 10.0% | 5 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Douglas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Douglas County, Nebraska?
1 utility has service territory in Douglas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Omaha Public Power District. The largest, Omaha Public Power District, charged residential customers 12.36¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Omaha, NE in?
Omaha is in Douglas County, Nebraska. About 488,797 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Douglas County?
4 operating plants with 941 MW of capacity. The largest is North Omaha (645 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Douglas County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 16 data centers in Douglas County.
Is Douglas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 341,754 jobs in 2025 against 341,763 in 2019 (-0.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 17,413 to 19,462.
Does Douglas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Douglas County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.