Thurston County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winnebago Township, Blackbird Township and Pender Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Thurston County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Thurston County is home to Winnebago Township, Blackbird Township, Pender Township and Pender. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Next door, Woodbury County, Iowa, has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 3,331 jobs in 2025, up 9.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Thurston County
Thurston County is home to Winnebago Township, Blackbird Township, Pender Township and Pender.
- Emerson also extends into Dixon County, Dakota County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Macy.
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 Thurston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,759 | 6,752 | ▼ 0.1% | 43rd of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,036 | 3,331 | ▲ 9.7% | 11th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,127 | $60,545 | ▲ 37.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 2.9% | ▼ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Thurston County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. 6,752 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Thurston County
Utilities with service territory in Thurston 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% |
| Burt County Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cuming County Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Emerson - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pender - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Walthill - (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 | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pender | City of Pender - (NE) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1953 |
The Thurston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,331 | $60,545 | 1.00 |
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 Thurston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Thurston County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Woodbury County.
Thurston County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Thurston County, Woodbury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurston County | 6,752 | ▲ 9.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Burt County | 6,678 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| Cuming County | 8,823 | ▲ 3.9% | 10 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Dakota County | 21,687 | ▲ 11.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Dixon County | 5,602 | ▼ 3.1% | 324 MW | — | — | — |
| Monona County IA | 8,539 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,020 | ▼ 5.9% | 710 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County IA | 106,649 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,284 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Nebraska
Thurston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Thurston County, Nebraska?
7 utilities have service territory in Thurston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Northeast Power, Burt County Public Power Dist, Cuming County Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Thurston County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Pender (5 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Thurston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Thurston County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Woodbury County.
Is Thurston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,331 jobs in 2025 against 3,036 in 2019 (+9.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Thurston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Thurston County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.