Wayne County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wayne
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wayne County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wayne County is home to Wayne. Construction employs 108, up 44.0% since 2019. 688 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 710 MW of capacity, 97% of it wind, the 8th largest fleet in Nebraska. Employers here counted 4,042 jobs in 2025, down 5.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Wayne.
- Wakefield also extends into Dixon County.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,705 | 10,020 | ▲ 3.2% | 27th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,295 | 4,042 | ▼ 5.9% | 79th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,973 | $46,131 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 75 | 108 | ▲ 44.0% | 4th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 688 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Northeast Power is the largest utility serving Wayne County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.73¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 10,020 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +688 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wayne County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Power | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,846 | 9.73¢ | 61% |
| Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 5,556 | 8.44¢ | 50% |
| Cuming County Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stanton County Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wakefield - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wayne | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Winside - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 688 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 22 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haystack Wind Project, LLC | Haystack Wind Project, LLC | Wind | 298 MW | 2022 |
| Plum Creek Wind Project (NE) | Plum Creek Wind, LLC | Wind | 230 MW | 2020 |
| Sholes Wind Energy Center | Sholes Wind Energy Center, LLC | Wind | 160 MW | 2019 |
| Wayne IC | City of Wayne (NE) | Petroleum | 22 MW | 1947 |
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,042 | $46,131 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 108 | $47,617 | 0.50 |
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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wayne County, Dixon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 10,020 | ▼ 5.9% | 710 MW | — | — | — |
| Cedar County | 8,373 | ▲ 2.3% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Cuming County | 8,823 | ▲ 3.9% | 10 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Dixon County | 5,602 | ▼ 3.1% | 324 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 36,106 | ▼ 0.6% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 7,378 | ▲ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Stanton County | 5,744 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Thurston County | 6,752 | ▲ 9.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Nebraska?
7 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northeast Power, Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist, Cuming County Public Pwr Dist, Stanton County Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Northeast Power, charged residential customers 9.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Wayne County?
4 operating plants with 710 MW of capacity. The largest is Haystack Wind Project, LLC (298 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,042 jobs in 2025 against 4,295 in 2019 (-5.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 75 to 108.
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.