Pierce County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pierce and Plainview
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pierce County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pierce County is home to Pierce, Plainview and Osmond. Construction employs 205, up 12.6% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 1.7% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Plainview Muncipal Power (petroleum, 5 MW, 2023). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum.
Cities and towns in Pierce County
Pierce County is home to Pierce, Plainview and Osmond.
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 Pierce County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,344 | 7,378 | ▲ 0.5% | 39th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,917 | 1,968 | ▲ 2.7% | 29th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,854 | $48,571 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 182 | 205 | ▲ 12.6% | 19th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 1.7% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 9, at an average $33,115 a year. Employers here counted 1,968 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Pierce County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. 7,378 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Pierce County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pierce 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% |
| Northeast Power | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,846 | 9.73¢ | 61% |
| Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,146 | 9.41¢ | 11% |
| Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 5,556 | 8.44¢ | 50% |
| North Central Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pierce - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Randolph - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osmond 1 | Northeast Power | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2023 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainview Muncipal Power | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2023 |
The Pierce County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,968 | $48,571 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 205 | $56,975 | 1.97 |
| Electrical contractors | 9 | $33,115 | 0.63 |
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 Pierce County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pierce County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Pierce County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pierce 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County | 7,378 | ▲ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Antelope County | 6,352 | ▲ 0.2% | 818 MW | — | — | — |
| Cedar County | 8,373 | ▲ 2.3% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 36,106 | ▼ 0.6% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Stanton County | 5,744 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,020 | ▼ 5.9% | 710 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Pierce County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pierce County, Nebraska?
7 utilities have service territory in Pierce County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Northeast Power, Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist, Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pierce County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Osmond 1 (2 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Pierce County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pierce County.
Is Pierce County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,968 jobs in 2025 against 1,917 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 182 to 205.
Does Pierce County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pierce County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.