Greeley County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Greeley 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. Greeley County is home to Spalding, Greeley Center and Scotia. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 90% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 628 jobs in 2025, up 2.1% from 2019. Cornhusker Public Power Dist is the largest utility serving Greeley County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.84¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Greeley County
Greeley County is home to Spalding, Greeley Center and Scotia.
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 Greeley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,183 | 2,154 | ▼ 1.3% | 73rd of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 615 | 628 | ▲ 2.1% | 36th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,196 | $43,290 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 37 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 2.5% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
2,154 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Greeley County
Utilities with service territory in Greeley County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornhusker Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 7,385 | 10.84¢ | 20% |
| Howard Greeley Rural P P D | — | — | — | — | — |
| Loup Valleys Rural P P D | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Spalding - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 90% |
| Hydro | 0 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spalding | Village of Spalding - (NE) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1919 |
The Greeley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 628 | $43,290 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 37 | $39,577 | 1.11 |
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 Greeley County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Greeley County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Nance County.
Greeley County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Greeley County, Boone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greeley County | 2,154 | ▲ 2.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 5,355 | ▲ 2.4% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 6,538 | ▲ 1.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Nance County | 3,290 | ▼ 8.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Sherman County | 2,924 | ▼ 12.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Valley County | 4,094 | ▼ 3.1% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Wheeler County | 789 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Greeley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Greeley County, Nebraska?
5 utilities have service territory in Greeley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Cornhusker Public Power Dist, Howard Greeley Rural P P D, Loup Valleys Rural P P D, Village of Spalding - (NE). The largest, Cornhusker Public Power Dist, charged residential customers 10.84¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Greeley County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Spalding (2 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Greeley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Greeley County.
Is Greeley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 628 jobs in 2025 against 615 in 2019 (+2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 28 to 37.
Does Greeley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Greeley County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.