Nebraska data centers under fire on Election Day eve
Nebraska residents are concerned that expanding data centers could increase household electricity bills, despite a new law allowing public power suppliers to make data centers pay for electricity and infrastructure costs. Bellevue resident David Linder supports a two-year moratorium on new data centers while policymakers consider additional safeguards.
As Nebraska heads into the midterm elections, residents are debating whether the rapid growth of data centers could raise electricity costs. A new state law authorizes public power suppliers to require data centers to cover the full cost of their electricity service, including infrastructure upgrades, while the Omaha Public Power District says data center revenue could help limit rate increases for other customers.
Governor Jim Pillen signed an executive order ending state tax incentives for data centers and creating a task force to examine their effects on natural resources. Data center growth is concentrated in Omaha and Papillion, with major investments from Google and Meta. Bellevue resident David Linder, who said his monthly electricity bill recently rose by more than 30%, called for a two-year moratorium on new facilities until additional safeguards are adopted.