Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Scottsbluff, Gering and Mitchell
Scotts Bluff 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. Construction employs 1,243, up 41.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Scotts Bluff County is home to Scottsbluff, Gering, Mitchell and Terrytown. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Western Sugar Coop - Scottsbluff (natural gas, 5 MW, 2022). 16 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Scotts Bluff County
Scotts Bluff County is home to Scottsbluff, Gering, Mitchell and Terrytown.
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 Scotts Bluff County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,046 | 35,586 | ▼ 1.3% | 9th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,287 | 15,915 | ▼ 2.3% | 64th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,674 | $53,764 | ▲ 35.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 876 | 1,243 | ▲ 41.9% | 5th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 16 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
Its power plants have 16 MW of capacity, 54% of it solar. Employers here counted 15,915 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Scotts Bluff County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. 35,586 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020, 9th of 93 Nebraska counties by population.
Who powers Scotts Bluff County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +10 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Scotts Bluff 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% |
| Chimney Rock Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Gering - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Lyman - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mitchell - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Morrill - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wyrulec Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 8 MW | 54% |
| Natural gas | 7 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Sugar Coop - Scottsbluff | Western Sugar Cooperative | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2023 |
| Western Meadowlark Solar SCS NE 1, LLC | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 4 MW | 2020 |
| Gering Solar | SE Municipal Nebraska, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Sugar Coop - Scottsbluff | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2022 |
The Scotts Bluff County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,915 | $53,764 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,243 | $75,124 | 1.47 |
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 Scotts Bluff County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scotts Bluff County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Box Butte County.
Scotts Bluff County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Scotts Bluff County, Goshen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotts Bluff County | 35,586 | ▼ 2.3% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Banner County | 686 | ▲ 20.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Box Butte County | 10,494 | ▼ 0.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Goshen County WY | 12,640 | ▼ 1.1% | — | 163 MW | — | — |
| Morrill County | 4,404 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 1,188 | ▲ 16.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Scotts Bluff County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska?
9 utilities have service territory in Scotts Bluff County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Chimney Rock Public Power Dist, City of Gering - (NE), Village of Lyman - (NE). The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Scottsbluff, NE in?
Scottsbluff is in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. About 14,259 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Scotts Bluff County?
3 operating plants with 16 MW of capacity. The largest is Western Sugar Coop - Scottsbluff (7 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Scotts Bluff County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scotts Bluff County.
Is Scotts Bluff County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,915 jobs in 2025 against 16,287 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 876 to 1,243.
Does Scotts Bluff County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scotts Bluff County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.