Lincoln-area legislative candidates discuss environmental issues, data centers
Lincoln-area legislative candidates discussed environmental issues, including data centers, at a forum. A candidate noted that the Gage County Board approved an eight-month moratorium on data centers due to resident concerns. Another candidate criticized Governor Jim Pillen's executive order to deny tax incentives for data centers.
At a recent forum, candidates for Lincoln-area legislative seats in Nebraska engaged in a discussion covering various environmental issues, with data centers emerging as a significant topic. The event, sponsored by several environmental groups, gathered Democratic candidates running for the officially nonpartisan Legislature.
Janet Bock, a candidate for District 30, highlighted the concerns of her constituents regarding proposed data centers, citing worries about environmental impact and potential property value deterioration. She specifically noted that the Gage County Board has already approved an eight-month moratorium on data center development, a duration shorter than the 18 months recommended by the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission, a length Bock advocated for extending. District 30 encompasses Gage County and a portion of Lancaster County.
Adding to the debate, Senator Danielle Conrad, running unopposed in Lincoln’s District 46, criticized Governor Jim Pillen's announcement to deny tax incentives for data centers. Conrad labeled the governor's action as a "performative" attempt to suspend state law through an executive order and dismissed a study group he appointed on the matter as a "sham commission" serving big tech and business interests. Other candidates also discussed broader environmental themes such as climate change, economic fallout, small nuclear reactors, and conservation efforts.