Saunders County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wahoo, Ashland Township and Ashland
Saunders County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Saunders County is home to Wahoo, Ashland Township, Ashland and Union Township. Construction employs 724, up 20.3% since 2019, and construction is 2.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Sarpy County has 16 data centers and 272 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 6,040 jobs in 2025, up 9.8% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 93 Nebraska counties). Electrical contractors employ 144, up 10.8% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $75,375 a year.
Cities and towns in Saunders County
Saunders County is home to Wahoo, Ashland Township, Ashland and Union Township.
And 14 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Wann.
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 Saunders County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,365 | 23,702 | ▲ 6.0% | 14th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,502 | 6,040 | ▲ 9.8% | 10th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,531 | $50,910 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 602 | 724 | ▲ 20.3% | 15th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 130 | 144 | ▲ 10.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 81 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
81 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 95 MW of capacity, 85% of it solar. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Omaha Public Power District is the largest utility serving Saunders County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.36¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. 23,702 people live here, up 6.0% since 2020.
Who powers Saunders County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +81 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Saunders 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% |
| Butler Public Power District - (NE) | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,774 | 11.10¢ | 18% |
| Village of Prague - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wahoo - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 81 MW | 85% |
| Natural gas | 14 MW | 14% |
| Petroleum | 0 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platteview Solar LLC | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 81 MW | 2024 |
| Wahoo | City of Wahoo - (NE) | Natural gas | 14 MW | 1936 |
The Saunders County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,040 | $50,910 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 724 | $66,539 | 2.26 |
| Electrical contractors | 144 | $75,375 | 3.31 |
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 Saunders County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Saunders County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Butler County, Cass County, Lancaster County, Seward County.
Saunders County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Saunders County, Sarpy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saunders County | 23,702 | ▲ 9.8% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 8,507 | ▲ 2.8% | 11 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cass County | 27,657 | ▲ 6.8% | 346 MW | 792 MW | — | 1 |
| Colfax County | 10,934 | ▼ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Dodge County | 38,057 | ▲ 5.8% | 178 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 606,460 | ● 0.0% | 941 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Lancaster County | 334,049 | ▲ 2.3% | 811 MW | 852 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Sarpy County | 208,303 | ▲ 14.0% | 866 MW | 272 MW | 16 | — |
| Seward County | 18,032 | ▼ 1.3% | 3 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Nebraska
Saunders County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Saunders County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Saunders County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Omaha Public Power District, Butler Public Power District - (NE), Village of Prague - (NE), City of Wahoo - (NE). The largest, Omaha Public Power District, charged residential customers 12.36¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Saunders County?
2 operating plants with 95 MW of capacity. The largest is Platteview Solar LLC (81 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Saunders County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Saunders County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sarpy County.
Is Saunders County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,040 jobs in 2025 against 5,502 in 2019 (+9.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 602 to 724.
Does Saunders County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Saunders County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.