Google’s new Lincoln data center needs a staggering amount of electricity — including 423 megawatts of wind energy from Oklahoma.
But there’s more to the story.
Lincoln Electric System says Google is paying for the additional generation needed to serve the data center, rather than passing those costs along to ratepayers. And Google is expected to account for roughly 11% of LES retail revenue.
So the real question isn’t whether data centers are good or bad.
It’s this: How does Nebraska make the data center and AI boom work for all Nebraskans?
Nebraska is the only state in America served entirely by publicly owned electric utilities. As AI drives enormous new demand for electricity, that could give our state a unique economic advantage — if we get the deals right.
Who pays for new generation and transmission? What happens to electric rates? And if Nebraska’s public power becomes increasingly valuable to companies like Google, how do Nebraska ratepayers benefit?
That’s Why It Matters.
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