Kimball County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kimball
No data center or power plant project is on record in Kimball County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Kimball County is home to Kimball. Next door, Laramie County, Wyoming, has 28 data centers and 1,485 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 1,575 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 10 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kimball (petroleum, 10 MW, 2024).
Cities and towns in Kimball County
Kimball County is home to Kimball.
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 Kimball County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,409 | 3,391 | ▼ 0.5% | 62nd of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,441 | 1,575 | ▲ 9.3% | 12th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,172 | $54,190 | ▲ 42.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 10 | ▼ 47.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 2.0% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — |
8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Its power plants have 38 MW of capacity, 79% of it wind. High West Energy, Inc is the largest utility serving Kimball County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.68¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. 3,391 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Kimball County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kimball County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High West Energy, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,752 | 14.68¢ | 7% |
| City of Kimball - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 30 MW | 79% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 21% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimball Wind | Kimball Wind, LLC | Wind | 30 MW | 2018 |
| Kimball | City of Kimball - (NE) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimball | Petroleum | 10 MW | 2024 |
The Kimball County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,575 | $54,190 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 10 | $37,522 | 0.12 |
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 Kimball County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kimball County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Logan County, Weld County.
Kimball County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Kimball County, Laramie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimball County | 3,391 | ▲ 9.3% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Banner County | 686 | ▲ 20.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Cheyenne County | 9,528 | ▼ 4.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Laramie County WY | 102,938 | ▲ 4.9% | 746 MW | 1,485 MW | 28 | — |
| Logan County CO | 20,654 | ▼ 1.8% | 1,016 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Weld County CO | 378,426 | ▲ 7.9% | 4,151 MW | 914 MW | — | 1 |
More of Nebraska
Kimball County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kimball County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Kimball County in the EIA-861 2024 report: High West Energy, Inc, City of Kimball - (NE), WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, High West Energy, Inc, charged residential customers 14.68¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Kimball County?
2 operating plants with 38 MW of capacity. The largest is Kimball Wind (30 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Kimball County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kimball County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Laramie County.
Is Kimball County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,575 jobs in 2025 against 1,441 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 19 to 10.
Does Kimball County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kimball County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.