AI Data Centers in Nebraska: Every Facility Tracked (2026)

Nebraska hosts four major artificial intelligence (AI) data center facilities tracked on this site, all developed and operated by Google. Ban the Bots' data center map tracks these four facilities across Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties as of 2026. Together, they represent at least 2,850 megawatts of disclosed electrical capacity across two sites, while two operating campuses do not publicly disclose their capacity ratings. That known total already exceeds the combined tracked capacity of neighboring Iowa (600 megawatts).

• Which AI Companies Are Building Data Centers in Nebraska?
• Why Google Is Building Across Eastern Nebraska
• Power Demands, Dedicated Gas Generation, and Water Sources
• Nebraska AI Data Center Facilities, One by One
• FAQ: AI Data Centers in Nebraska
• Conclusion: Tracking Nebraska's AI Buildout

Which AI Companies Are Building Data Centers in Nebraska?

Google is the sole company operating or proposing major AI data centers tracked on this site in Nebraska. Unlike states where multiple cloud hyperscalers compete for utility connections and land, Nebraska's tracked footprint is entirely a Google buildout. The company has established facilities in Omaha, Papillion, and Lincoln, expanding its presence steadily since initial announcements in 2022. No facilities operated by Microsoft, Meta, or Amazon Web Services appear in this site's tracking data for Nebraska.

This single-operator concentration gives Google an unusually large physical and electrical footprint in the state. The company's projects range from operating enterprise centers to a proposed mega-campus that would rank among the single largest power consumers in the entire Midwest. Across all four sites, Google serves as the developer, tenant, and primary corporate backer behind the utility infrastructure requests.

Why Google Is Building Across Eastern Nebraska

Google's concentration of facilities in eastern Nebraska reflects specific infrastructure decisions and state-level incentives documented in public records:

• Multi-campus operational clustering: Google began its Nebraska expansion with the Omaha announcement in January 2022, followed quickly by Papillion in September 2022 and Lincoln in August 2023. Siting multiple facilities within a narrow geographic corridor between Omaha and Lincoln allows shared regional operational management across sites.
• Targeted tax incentives: Nebraska offered significant property tax incentives to secure the Google Papillion project in Sarpy County, lowering the long-term capital expense of operating continuous server halls.
• Willingness to build private utility-scale power: For the proposed Lincoln Phase 2 mega-campus, the sheer scale of demand exceeded existing municipal capacity. The project's feasibility depends on partnering with energy developers to construct private generation assets rather than drawing entirely from the existing regional electricity grid.

Power Demands, Dedicated Gas Generation, and Water Sources

The defining environmental and community issue in Nebraska's AI buildout is the sheer scale of electrical demand required by Google's newest proposed facility. On March 1, 2026, details emerged for the Google Nebraska Mega-Campus, also designated as Lincoln Phase 2. The planned campus carries a design capacity of 2,700 megawatts. To put that number in context, this single facility would consume more electricity than the entire city of Lincoln requires during its peak summer cooling hours.

Because the local utility grid cannot support a 2,700-megawatt load without destabilizing regional supply, the project relies on a privately built, utility-scale natural gas power plant. Google has partnered with Tenaska and Tallgrass Energy to develop this power plant, which could become the largest natural gas generation facility in Nebraska. If approved and constructed, the mega-campus could begin operating as early as 2029, introducing a major new source of fossil-fuel generation into Lancaster County specifically to support AI compute workloads.

Water consumption also presents distinct operational requirements across the state's facilities:

• Papillion Data Center: Google's 150-megawatt facility in Sarpy County draws cooling water from the Missouri River through the Metropolitan Utilities District, relying on one of the region's largest surface water systems.
• Lincoln Phase 2 Mega-Campus: While the project specifies a 2,700-megawatt power draw fueled by natural gas, its operational water source is not publicly specified in this site's tracking data.
• Omaha Data Center Campus: The campus connects to the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) electric grid, but its cooling water source is not publicly specified in this site's records.
• Google Lincoln Data Center: The operational $600 million campus near Interstate 80 does not publicly disclose its cooling water intake volume or water utility supplier in this site's tracking records.

For community members evaluating cooling volumes and resource allocation, Ban the Bots tracks water metrics nationwide through the interactive AI water use calculator and provides regional context in the AI data center impact explainer.

Nebraska AI Data Center Facilities, One by One

Every facility tracked by Ban the Bots in Nebraska is detailed below with verified location, status, power capacity, and utility sourcing:

• Google Omaha Data Center Campus (11110 State Street, Omaha, Douglas County; operating): Google's second Nebraska facility sits on approximately 460 acres near State Street and Blair High Road. Announced in January 2022, the site contains approximately 4 buildings totaling roughly 1.4 million square feet. The facility reached operational status in late 2024. Its electrical capacity is not publicly specified in this site's tracking data, and its cooling water source is likewise not publicly specified.
• Google Nebraska Mega-Campus (Lincoln Phase 2) (Lincoln, Lancaster County; planned): A proposed 2,700 MW hyperscale campus announced on March 1, 2026. The facility requires more electricity than all of Lincoln consumes during peak summer demand. Google plans to power the site using a privately built, utility-scale natural gas plant developed with energy partners Tenaska and Tallgrass Energy. The proposed plant would potentially rank as the largest natural gas power plant in Nebraska. The campus could come online as early as 2029. Its water source is not publicly specified in this site's tracking data.
• Google Lincoln Nebraska Data Center (Near I-80 and N. 56th Street, Lincoln, Lancaster County; operating): Google's third Nebraska facility, representing a $600 million capital investment announced on August 22, 2023. The site encompasses 2 million square feet across 580 acres and supports more than 30 full-time jobs. It became operational by fall 2025. Electrical capacity and water sourcing for this campus are not publicly specified in this site's tracking data.
• Google Papillion Data Center (Papillion, Sarpy County; under construction): A 150 MW data center announced on September 1, 2022. The state of Nebraska approved significant property tax incentives to attract the project to Sarpy County. The campus sources cooling water from the Missouri River through the Metropolitan Utilities District. Construction remains ongoing as of 2026.

FAQ: AI Data Centers in Nebraska

How many AI data centers are in Nebraska?

Ban the Bots tracks four major AI data center facilities in Nebraska as of 2026, all owned or developed by Google across Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties. Two facilities are currently operating, one is under construction, and one is in the planning phase.

Is Google the only company with AI data centers in Nebraska?

Yes. Based on this site's tracking data, Google is the only company operating or proposing major AI data center campuses in Nebraska. Other major operators such as Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon Web Services do not have facilities tracked in the state on this site.

What is Google's Lincoln Phase 2 data center?

Google's Lincoln Phase 2 project, designated as the Google Nebraska Mega-Campus, is a proposed 2,700-megawatt hyperscale development in Lancaster County announced in March 2026. The facility would require more power than the city of Lincoln uses at peak summer demand. Google plans to supply the site through a privately built utility-scale natural gas plant built in partnership with Tenaska and Tallgrass Energy, with potential operation starting as early as 2029.

Are there AI data centers in Boone County, Nebraska?

No facilities in Boone County appear in this site's tracking data. Ban the Bots tracks Nebraska AI data centers exclusively in Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties. Any local permit inquiries or preliminary discussions in Boone County do not correspond to a tracked facility in this site's database.

How much power will Google's new Nebraska data center need?

Google's proposed Lincoln Phase 2 campus is designed for 2,700 megawatts of capacity. Because this exceeds the peak electricity usage of the entire city of Lincoln, the site cannot rely solely on the regional electric grid and would require a dedicated, privately built natural gas power plant.

Conclusion: Tracking Nebraska's AI Buildout

Nebraska's data center profile stands apart due to Google's total footprint across Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties, capped by a 2,700-megawatt mega-campus proposal that would reshape local natural gas power generation. Explore the interactive AI data center map to see coordinates and details for every facility, or examine how utility infrastructure shifts across the border in Ban the Bots' guide to AI data centers in Iowa.