Lancaster County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lincoln, Waverly and Hickman
Lancaster County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Lancaster County, 8% of Nebraska's total. Lancaster County is home to Lincoln, Waverly, Hickman and Bennet. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed data center moratorium set aside for task forces”. 852 MW of new generation is planned here across 16 units, led by Nebraska Public Power District (natural gas), the largest pipeline among Nebraska's counties. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Coffee Grounds Data LLC land option.
Cities and towns in Lancaster County
Lancaster County is home to Lincoln, Waverly, Hickman and Bennet.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Agnew, Cheney, Emerald, Kramer, Martell, Prairie Home, Princeton, Walton, Yankee Hill.
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 Lancaster County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 323,178 | 334,049 | ▲ 3.4% | 2nd of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 172,990 | 176,943 | ▲ 2.3% | 34th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,576 | $61,528 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,962 | 10,527 | ▲ 17.5% | 16th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,227 | 1,548 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 195 | 263 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 852 MW | 105% of today's fleet | 1st of 8 by size |
Construction employs 10,527, up 17.5% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,548, up 26.2% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $78,460 a year. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Salt Valley Wind Plant (wind, 1 MW, 2024). Its power plants have 811 MW of capacity, 63% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Nebraska. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Employers here counted 176,943 jobs in 2025, up 2.3% from 2019. Omaha Public Power District is the largest utility serving Lancaster County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.36¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 334,049 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020, 2nd of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Lancaster County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lancaster 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% |
| Lincoln Electric System | Municipal | Bundled | 134,912 | 10.86¢ | 45% |
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Norris Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 18,387 | 9.61¢ | 14% |
| City of Hickman - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Nebraska City | — | — | — | — | — |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 508 MW | 63% |
| Coal | 229 MW | 28% |
| Petroleum | 61 MW | 8% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rokeby | Lincoln Electric System | Natural gas | 266 MW | 1975 |
| Sheldon | Nebraska Public Power District | Coal | 229 MW | 1961 |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Lincoln Electric System | Natural gas | 216 MW | 2003 |
| Hallam | Nebraska Public Power District | Petroleum | 57 MW | 1973 |
| J Street | Lincoln Electric System | Natural gas | 27 MW | 1972 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Lincoln | Archer Daniels Midland Co | Natural gas | 8 MW | 1988 |
Planned generation 16
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 265 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 265 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 52 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Lincoln Electric System |
| Terry Bundy Generating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 52 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Lincoln Electric System |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Princeton Road Station | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 18 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Nebraska Public Power District |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Valley Wind Plant | Wind | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Lancaster County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 176,943 | $61,528 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 10,527 | $70,668 | 1.12 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,548 | $78,460 | 1.21 |
| Data processing and hosting | 263 | $163,143 | 0.48 |
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 Lancaster County
3 data centers in Lancaster County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed data center moratorium set aside for task forces | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Grounds Data LLC land option | pending review | — |
Lancaster County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Lancaster County, Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County | 334,049 | ▲ 2.3% | 811 MW | 852 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Butler County | 8,507 | ▲ 2.8% | 11 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cass County | 27,657 | ▲ 6.8% | 346 MW | 792 MW | — | 1 |
| Gage County | 21,711 | ▼ 2.2% | 247 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 5,218 | ▼ 2.6% | 7 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Otoe County | 16,531 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,433 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Saline County | 14,996 | ▼ 5.4% | 311 MW | — | — | — |
| Saunders County | 23,702 | ▲ 9.8% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Seward County | 18,032 | ▼ 1.3% | 3 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Nebraska
Lancaster County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
6 utilities have service territory in Lancaster County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Omaha Public Power District, Lincoln Electric System, Nebraska Public Power District, Norris Public Power District. The largest, Omaha Public Power District, charged residential customers 12.36¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lincoln, NE in?
Lincoln is in Lancaster County, Nebraska. About 301,522 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lancaster County?
9 operating plants with 811 MW of capacity. The largest is Rokeby (266 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Lancaster County?
852 MW across 16 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Nebraska Public Power District.
Are there data centers in Lancaster County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Lancaster County.
Is Lancaster County adding jobs?
Employers counted 176,943 jobs in 2025 against 172,990 in 2019 (+2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8,962 to 10,527.
Does Lancaster County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Lancaster County, 0 in force.