Furnas County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cambridge
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Furnas County. Furnas County is home to Cambridge, Arapahoe, most of Oxford (524 of its 701 residents) and Beaver City. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers”. Employers here counted 1,758 jobs in 2025, down 8.3% from 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Beaver City (natural gas, 1 MW, 2025). Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 54% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Furnas County
Furnas County is home to Cambridge, Arapahoe, most of Oxford (524 of its 701 residents) and Beaver City.
- Oxford also extends into Harlan County.
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 Furnas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,624 | 4,524 | ▼ 2.2% | 57th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,917 | 1,758 | ▼ 8.3% | 83rd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,119 | $49,173 | ▲ 29.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59 | 46 | ▼ 22.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. City of Arapahoe - (NE) is the largest utility serving Furnas County, one of 5 with territory here. 4,524 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Furnas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Furnas County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Arapahoe - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Beaver City - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Cambridge - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Oxford - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Twin Valleys Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 4 MW | 54% |
| Natural gas | 3 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | City of Cambridge - (NE) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2005 |
| Oxford (NE) | Village of Oxford - (NE) | Natural gas | 3 MW | 1953 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver City | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2025 |
| Beaver City | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2025 |
The Furnas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,758 | $49,173 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 46 | $60,379 | 0.49 |
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 Furnas County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers | In force | — |
Furnas County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Furnas County, Gosper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnas County | 4,524 | ▼ 8.3% | 7 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Decatur County KS | 2,716 | ▼ 10.5% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Frontier County | 2,655 | ▼ 12.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Gosper County | 1,803 | ▲ 2.2% | 153 MW | — | — | — |
| Harlan County | 3,000 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Norton County KS | 5,288 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Phelps County | 8,994 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Red Willow County | 10,307 | ▼ 2.4% | 57 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Furnas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Furnas County, Nebraska?
5 utilities have service territory in Furnas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Arapahoe - (NE), City of Beaver City - (NE), City of Cambridge - (NE), Village of Oxford - (NE).
What power plants are in Furnas County?
2 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Cambridge (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Furnas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Furnas County.
Is Furnas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,758 jobs in 2025 against 1,917 in 2019 (-8.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 59 to 46.
Does Furnas County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Furnas County, 1 in force.