Keith County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ogallala
No data center or power plant project is on record in Keith County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Keith County is home to Ogallala and Paxton. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 50 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Electrical contractors employ 8, at an average $47,425 a year. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Keith County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Keith County
Keith County is home to Ogallala and Paxton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Belmar, Keystone, Lemoyne, Martin, Roscoe, Sarben.
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 Keith County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,323 | 8,100 | ▼ 2.7% | 35th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,284 | 3,237 | ▼ 1.4% | 59th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,099 | $48,837 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 2.2% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 3,237 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. 8,100 people live here, down 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Keith County
Utilities with service territory in Keith 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% |
| Midwest Electric Member Corp - (NE) | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,389 | 12.04¢ | 16% |
| Wheat Belt Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 50 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsley | Central Nebraska Pub P&I Dist | Hydro | 50 MW | 1984 |
The Keith County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,237 | $48,837 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 8 | $47,425 | 0.34 |
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 Keith County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Keith County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Lincoln County.
Keith County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Keith County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith County | 8,100 | ▼ 1.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Arthur County | 396 | ▼ 10.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Deuel County | 1,862 | ▲ 6.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Garden County | 1,804 | ▼ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 33,303 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,410 MW | — | — | 1 |
| McPherson County | 369 | ▼ 20.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Perkins County | 2,849 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Sedgwick County CO | 2,247 | ▼ 13.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Keith County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Keith County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Keith County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Midwest Electric Member Corp - (NE), Wheat Belt Public Power Dist, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Keith County?
1 operating plant with 50 MW of capacity. The largest is Kingsley (50 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Keith County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Keith County.
Is Keith County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,237 jobs in 2025 against 3,284 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Keith County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Keith County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.