Nebraska governor selects members for data center task force team
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has appointed 17 members to a newly formed data center task force. This committee was established via executive order to propose methods for protecting natural resources like land, electricity, and water from data center use, and to bar data centers from receiving tax incentives. The task force aims to balance industry growth with resource preservation and is expected to hold its first meeting next month.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has announced the 17 members selected for his newly created data center task force. This committee was established by an executive order signed in July, which also stipulated that data centers would be barred from receiving tax incentives.
The task force's primary objective is to develop proposals for safeguarding the state's natural resources, including land, electricity, and water, from excessive consumption by data centers. Governor Pillen emphasized the importance of balancing the booming data center industry with the critical need to preserve the state's valuable resources. He expressed confidence that the diverse expertise of the task force members would lead to sound decisions in this regard.
The appointed members include leaders from various sectors such as energy (Mark Hewett of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Chris Leitner of Tenaska), infrastructure (David Miles of Kiewit Infrastructure Group), broadband (Mike Miller of HDR), and several public utility districts (Javier Fernandez of Omaha Public Power District, Tom Kent of Nebraska Public Power District, Emeka Anyanwu of Lincoln Electric System). County commissioners Micaela Wuehler (Lincoln County) and Angi Burmeister (Sarpy County) are also on the team, alongside representatives from the Nebraska Public Service Commission and various Natural Resources Districts. The task force is anticipated to convene its inaugural meeting next month.