Lincoln County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to North Platte and Sutherland
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Lincoln County. Lincoln County is home to North Platte, Sutherland and Hershey. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Data center moratorium (rejected 3-2)”. Construction employs 888, up 29.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,410 MW of capacity, 97% of it coal, the 2nd largest fleet in Nebraska. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to North Platte, Sutherland and Hershey.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,534 | 33,303 | ▼ 3.6% | 10th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,340 | 15,243 | ▲ 6.3% | 17th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,602 | $55,633 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 685 | 888 | ▲ 29.6% | 9th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 2.5% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 15,243 jobs in 2025, up 6.3% from 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Lincoln County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. 33,303 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020, 10th of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Lincoln County
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln 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% |
| Dawson Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,080 | 11.41¢ | 13% |
| City of North Platte | Municipal | Bundled | 11,906 | 11.36¢ | 47% |
| Custer Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,707 | 12.71¢ | 22% |
| Midwest Electric Member Corp - (NE) | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,389 | 12.04¢ | 16% |
| McCook Public Power District | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,363 MW | 97% |
| Hydro | 48 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Gentleman | Nebraska Public Power District | Coal | 1,363 MW | 1979 |
| North Platte | Nebraska Public Power District | Hydro | 26 MW | 1935 |
| Jeffrey | Central Nebraska Pub P&I Dist | Hydro | 22 MW | 1941 |
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,243 | $55,633 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 888 | $65,342 | 1.10 |
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 Lincoln County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data center moratorium (rejected 3-2) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-07 |
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Lincoln County, Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 33,303 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,410 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Custer County | 10,500 | ▲ 0.8% | 166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dawson County | 24,452 | ▲ 2.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Frontier County | 2,655 | ▼ 12.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Hayes County | 821 | ▼ 9.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Keith County | 8,100 | ▼ 1.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 669 | ▼ 13.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| McPherson County | 369 | ▼ 20.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Perkins County | 2,849 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, Nebraska?
6 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Dawson Power District, City of North Platte, Custer Public Power District. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is North Platte, NE in?
North Platte is in Lincoln County, Nebraska. About 22,524 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lincoln County?
3 operating plants with 1,410 MW of capacity. The largest is Gerald Gentleman (1,363 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lincoln County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,243 jobs in 2025 against 14,340 in 2019 (+6.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 685 to 888.
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Lincoln County, 0 in force.