Nebraska Data Centers Face Scrutiny Over Water Use; New Legislation Requires Disclosure
Nebraska is seeing increased scrutiny over data center water usage, with Google reporting significant consumption. Local residents are expressing concerns over potential new data center projects in areas like Gage County, prompting state legislation for disclosure and local government entities to update regulations regarding water allocation.
The article, a partnership between Flatwater Free Press and Grist, delves into the significant water consumption by data centers in Nebraska, highlighting figures such as Google's reported 732 million gallons in 2025 across its Nebraska facilities in Omaha, Papillion, and Lincoln. While this amount is comparable to irrigating thousands of acres of corn, experts like Anthony Schutz of UNL note it's still small relative to Nebraska's overall agricultural water use.
Water usage has become a contentious issue as more data centers are planned in the state, exacerbated by drought conditions. Residents in Adams, near Gage County, recently met to discuss concerns about a potential data center and natural gas plant project proposed by Tenaska, specifically questioning its water demands.
The industry is working on efficiency, utilizing technologies like closed-loop cooling, as discussed by Pete Marin, CEO of T5 Data Centers. However, transparency regarding water and power usage remains a challenge, with companies like Google and Meta reporting data, while others do not. New state legislation, passed by the Nebraska Legislature in its 2026 session, will require data centers to disclose annual water use and power demand, a move welcomed by officials like Jesse Bradley of the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment for future planning. Local Natural Resources Districts, like Papio-Missouri River NRD and Nemaha NRD, are also updating regulations to manage water resources in anticipation of increased demand. Experts emphasize the need to avoid placing water-intensive industries in water-insecure areas.