What was said about data centers in Nebraska
38 statements from 22 speakers, grouped by who spoke. Each appears as said, with the date and the source. No verdict is attached.
From March 1, 2026 to September 28, 2026. Statements from every state are on Statements.
Data center companies 1
Developers, operators and builders of data centers and the technology companies that fill them, speaking through their staff and spokespeople. Every state.
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vice president of digital infrastructure, Stark Power
Scott Novack, vice president of digital infrastructure for Stark, said the company is in early stages of evaluating the site and no final decision has been made
Government 19
Officials in office, lawmakers, regulators, public agencies and courts, federal, state, tribal and local. Every state.
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Micaela Wuehler, Lincoln County Commissioner, appointed to 19 member Nebraska Data Center Task Force
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Governor of Nebraska
Governor Jim Pillen said he generally opposes moratoriums, preferring that decisions be made on a case by case basis for individual communities and projects.
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Governor of Nebraska
Governor Jim Pillen said Nebraska needs to protect water supplies, protect ratepayers, and should not give data center tax credits.
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Rex Adams, Gage County Supervisor, said as soon as the board gets regulations in place, the better off they are and should not drag it out.
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Lancaster County Commissioner Christa Yoakum stated that Lancaster County has very little land zoned industrial and would not have enough property in one place for a data center under current zoning.
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David Cary, planning department director
County zoning regulations do not define data centers
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Mayor of Kearney
Mayor Jonathan Nikkila said the city is trying to get ahead of data center development with great laws and high standards
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Chad Krueger, chairman of board of trustees of Nehawka
Hyperscale data center projects can span thousands of acres
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Nebraska State Senator District 46
Senator Danielle Conrad criticized Pillen's announcement that he would deny tax incentives for data centers, as a 'performative' attempt to suspend state law and tax policy through an executive order.
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Governor Pillen said the task force will help evaluate the impact of data centers on Nebraska's water resources, power grids and local infrastructure
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Governor of Nebraska
Governor Pillen said the task force will ensure county officials have necessary tools, zoning guidelines and policy frameworks to manage data center growth effectively
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Jim Pillen, Governor of Nebraska
Task force membership includes 17 officials including executives from Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Tenaska, OPPD, NPPD, Lincoln Electric System, and county commissioners from multiple jurisdictions
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Governor of Nebraska
Pillen stated task force must balance economic development with protecting state resources including land, electricity and water
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Senator
Sen. Mike Jacobson indicated willingness to introduce a bill to remove data centers from the Imagine Nebraska Act
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Governor
Gov. Pillen said data centers should not receive tax incentives and the state should attract givers not takers
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Governor
Gov. Jim Pillen said Nebraska is appealing because of available land, low electrical rates and abundant water, but has also provided tax incentives to data centers
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Jim Pillen, Governor
The executive order will create a task force to propose safeguards to protect the state's natural resources from data center use
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Governor
Gov. Pillen said the executive order will suspend state tax incentives for large scale data centers
Candidates and campaigns 5
People running for office, their campaigns and their parties. A candidate who does not hold the office is not an official. Every state.
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gubernatorial candidate
Walz suggested a committee of experts on power and natural resource consumption advise data center projects coming to Nebraska communities.
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gubernatorial candidate
Walz expressed opposition to state government dictating data center allowances and said communities should build their own economic development plans.
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gubernatorial candidate
Walz referenced Lincoln Premium Poultry opening in Fremont in 2018 and the community adjusting plans, suggesting she wants data center decisions handled similarly with local input.
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gubernatorial candidate
Lynne Walz said state government should not tell communities what they can and cannot allow in their areas and those decisions should be local.
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legislative candidate District 30
Janet Bock, a candidate for District 30, said data centers are a top issue for people in her district, which includes Gage County and part of Lancaster County. She said people are concerned about environmental effects and property value deterioration, and thinks the moratorium should be longer than the eight months approved by the Gage County Board.
Advocates and residents 12
Advocacy and community groups on every side, residents, neighbors and people speaking at public meetings. Every state.
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Nebraska Sierra Club chapter director
Ken Winston said developers should disclose projected electrical demand, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions before approval
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Nebraska Sierra Club chapter director
Ken Winston said data centers need regulation and pausing builds can buy communities time to develop standards
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Ken Winston, Nebraska Sierra Club chapter director
Nebraska Sierra Club meeting addressed benefits and drawbacks of AI data centers, calling for regulations to ensure sustainability
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Jordan Anderson
Sierra Club Nebraska is concerned about potential long term consequences of data center water use and lack of oversight.
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Bold Alliance proposed local legislation to regulate data centers
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Hallam farmer
Farmer Darin Schwaninger declined the option offer citing concerns about community division
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Cass County residents
Residents voiced concerns about water, electricity, and quality of life impacts from data centers
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Cass County Data Center Watch founder
Jayden Speed, founder of Cass County Data Center Watch, raised concerns about water and electricity usage
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Cass County resident
Lisa Hild, a resident, expressed concern that a data center would change her family farm's quality of life
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small business owner
Eric Klein testified that added tax revenue from data centers could lower property tax rates for everyone in the county
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Pete Sepp, National Taxpayers Union President, said Nebraska executive order constitutes effective moratorium on data centers
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Jordan Anderson, Sierra Club Nebraska
As of March 2026, Google had built three data centers in Nebraska, including one in Omaha and one in Papillion.
Other voices 1
Journalists, lawyers, former officials, and speakers the source describes in words that name none of the groups above. Every state.
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Maureen Larsen, Director of Economic Development, said the state wants to be supportive of data center projects when in Nebraska's best interest while guarding against out of state entities extracting resources
The group comes from the words the source gives for the speaker; how the groups are read. Every statement on the record is in CSV and JSON, with its group and its state.
