Platte County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbus and Columbus Township
The build-out shows up in Platte County as work for the electrical trades. Electrical contractors employ 288, up 140.0% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $70,835 a year. Platte County is home to Columbus, Columbus Township, Granville Township and Shell Creek Township. Construction employs 1,326, up 26.2% since 2019. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 138 MW of capacity, 52% of it coal.
Cities and towns in Platte County
Platte County is home to Columbus, Columbus Township, Granville Township and Shell Creek Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lakeview.
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 Platte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,302 | 35,649 | ▲ 3.9% | 8th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,211 | 19,915 | ▲ 3.7% | 22nd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,946 | $57,541 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,051 | 1,326 | ▲ 26.2% | 10th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 120 | 288 | ▲ 140.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.3% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 19,915 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Loup River Public Power Dist is the largest utility serving Platte County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.59¢/kWh in 2024. 35,649 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020, 8th of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Platte County
Utilities with service territory in Platte County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loup River Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,292 | 10.59¢ | 20% |
| Cornhusker Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 7,385 | 10.84¢ | 20% |
| Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,146 | 9.41¢ | 11% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 71 MW | 52% |
| Hydro | 53 MW | 39% |
| Wind | 14 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Daniels Midland Columbus | Archer Daniels Midland Co | Coal | 71 MW | 2010 |
| Columbus | Loup River Public Power Dist | Hydro | 46 MW | 1936 |
| Monroe (NE) | Loup River Public Power Dist | Hydro | 8 MW | 1936 |
| Creston Ridge II, LLC | Creston Ridge II, LLC | Wind | 7 MW | 2017 |
| Creston Ridge Wind Farm | Creston Ridge, LLC | Wind | 7 MW | 2015 |
The Platte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,915 | $57,541 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,326 | $71,749 | 1.26 |
| Electrical contractors | 288 | $70,835 | 2.01 |
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 Platte County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Platte County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Butler County, Nance County.
Platte County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Platte County, Boone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County | 35,649 | ▲ 3.7% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 5,355 | ▲ 2.4% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 8,507 | ▲ 2.8% | 11 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Colfax County | 10,934 | ▼ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 36,106 | ▼ 0.6% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Merrick County | 7,905 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Nance County | 3,290 | ▼ 8.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Polk County | 5,270 | ▼ 3.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Stanton County | 5,744 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Platte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Platte County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Platte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Loup River Public Power Dist, Cornhusker Public Power Dist, Elkhorn Rural Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Loup River Public Power Dist, charged residential customers 10.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Columbus, NE in?
Columbus is in Platte County, Nebraska. About 25,248 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Platte County?
5 operating plants with 138 MW of capacity. The largest is Archer Daniels Midland Columbus (71 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Platte County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Platte County.
Is Platte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,915 jobs in 2025 against 19,211 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,051 to 1,326.
Does Platte County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Platte County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.