WEEKEND WRAP-UP: Most watched videos in Lincoln this week (Oct. 4, 2026)
KOLN reported that improperly redacted state filings revealed water and peak electricity use at Google data centers in Lincoln, Omaha and Papillion. Google’s Lincoln facility reported 52.65 megawatts of peak demand and 13.299 million gallons of water use, while the Papillion facility reported substantially higher water consumption.
Improperly redacted filings submitted to Nebraska’s Department of Water, Energy, and Environment revealed resource-use data for Google data centers operating under affiliated entities. The Lincoln facility, identified as Agate LLC, reported 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of annual water use. The Papillion facility, identified as Fireball Group LLC, reported 547.88 megagallons of annual water consumption, the highest among the six data centers reporting as of Sept. 30.
The filings also disclosed expected 2025 tax refunds totaling tens of millions of dollars for Google’s Nebraska facilities in Lincoln, Papillion and Omaha. The state’s Data Center Task Force is overseeing annual impact reporting required under an executive order from Gov. Jim Pillen covering water, electricity grids and local infrastructure.