Madison County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Norfolk, Madison and Battle Creek
No data center or power plant project is on record in Madison County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Madison County is home to Norfolk, Madison, Battle Creek and most of Tilden (679 of its 982 residents). Construction employs 1,071, up 12.5% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 186, up 10.1% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $65,604 a year. 13 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 18 MW of capacity, 57% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Madison County
Madison County is home to Norfolk, Madison, Battle Creek and most of Tilden (679 of its 982 residents).
- Tilden also extends into Antelope County.
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 Madison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 35,533 | 36,106 | ▲ 1.6% | 7th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,082 | 21,946 | ▼ 0.6% | 53rd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,019 | $56,641 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 952 | 1,071 | ▲ 12.5% | 21st of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 169 | 186 | ▲ 10.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Madison County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 21,946 jobs in 2025, down 0.6% from 2019. 36,106 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020, 7th of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Madison County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +13 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Madison 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% |
| Loup River Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,292 | 10.59¢ | 20% |
| Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,146 | 9.41¢ | 11% |
| City of Battle Creek- (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Madison - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stanton County Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 10 MW | 57% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 32% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South 49th 013445 SCS Norfolk, LLC | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 11 MW | 2022 |
| Madison Utilities | City of Madison - (NE) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1953 |
| Madison Solar (NE) | MMPS1, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Madison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,946 | $56,641 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,071 | $64,375 | 0.92 |
| Electrical contractors | 186 | $65,604 | 1.18 |
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 Madison County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Madison County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Madison County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Madison County, Antelope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 36,106 | ▼ 0.6% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Antelope County | 6,352 | ▲ 0.2% | 818 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 5,355 | ▲ 2.4% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 7,378 | ▲ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Platte County | 35,649 | ▲ 3.7% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Stanton County | 5,744 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,020 | ▼ 5.9% | 710 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Madison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Madison County, Nebraska?
6 utilities have service territory in Madison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Loup River Public Power Dist, Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist, City of Battle Creek- (NE). The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Norfolk, NE in?
Norfolk is in Madison County, Nebraska. About 26,677 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Madison County?
3 operating plants with 18 MW of capacity. The largest is South 49th 013445 SCS Norfolk, LLC (11 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Madison County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Madison County.
Is Madison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,946 jobs in 2025 against 22,082 in 2019 (-0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 952 to 1,071.
Does Madison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Madison County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.