The Governor’s Data Center Task Force recently met to discuss hyperscale data center development in Nebraska. Angi Burmeister, Sarpy County Commissioner; Micaela Wuehler, Lincoln County Commissioner; and I serve on the task force, bringing county and local land use perspectives to the conversation.

Discussion included Nebraska’s water supply and existing protections, energy demands and ratepayer safeguards, as well as the infrastructure and community impacts counties may consider as data centers are proposed.

A central message of NACO’s presentation was that land use decisions are not one-size-fits-all and that local decision-making and public engagement remain important parts of the process. Nebraska counties vary greatly in infrastructure, water resources, agricultural land use, development pressures, and community priorities. Public hearings and locally adopted comprehensive plans give communities an opportunity to evaluate those local conditions, hear from residents and stakeholders, and develop an evidence-based public record.

NACO also highlighted the importance of evaluating revenue opportunities and tools to address project impacts, including property tax revenue, infrastructure agreements and community benefit agreements. Counties and municipalities operate under distinct statutory authorities. Because Nebraska counties have only those powers granted or necessarily implied by state law, approaches used by municipalities or communities in other states may not automatically be available to counties and must be carefully evaluated under Nebraska law.

The Governor’s Data Center Task Force is scheduled to meet again October 20, 2026, in Columbus.

View NACO’s presentation: Data Centers & the County Land Use Framework