By Allison Peck
Lincoln County Commissioner Micaela Wuehler updated the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Tuesday on the first meeting of Nebraska’s newly created Data Center Task Force.
Wuehler was appointed to the 17-member task force by Gov. Jim Pillen in August. The task force was created through Pillen’s executive order and is overseen by the Nebraska Department of Water, Environment and Energy. Its work includes evaluating the potential impacts of data centers on Nebraska’s water resources, power grid and local infrastructure, as well as examining tools and policies available to counties managing data center development.
The first meeting was held Sept. 22 in Grand Island. Wuehler described it as primarily an introductory meeting, with presentations from participating organizations and discussion among the members.
The task force includes representatives from the power industry, public utilities, natural resources districts, economic development and county government. Wuehler said more than 10 of the 17 members have backgrounds in the power industry.
Lincoln County is represented by Wuehler, while Sarpy County Commissioner Angi Burmeister is the other county commissioner serving on the task force. Candace Meredith of the Nebraska Association of County Officials also serves on the group.
Wuehler said one of the goals she heard repeatedly during the first meeting was providing communities with verifiable, reliable information about data center development.
The meetings will be open to the public, and presentation materials and minutes will be posted through the Department of Water, Energy and Environment.
Wuehler said the first meeting included significant discussion about water and energy, as well as questions surrounding air quality and emissions.
She noted that Lincoln County has a different water situation than some of the other areas represented on the task force because the Twin Platte Natural Resources District and the basin it serves have been under a water moratorium for approximately 20 years.
Two other natural resources districts are represented on the task force, although Wuehler said their water situations are different because they are not fully appropriated.
Wuehler said she has continued communicating with the Twin Platte Natural Resources District and hopes the district could eventually provide information or make a presentation to the task force.
The task force members were also given six assignments to complete before their next meeting. Members were asked to return to their communities and bring questions and concerns about data center development back to the task force.
The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 in Columbus.
Wuehler told commissioners that local control is an important issue from the county's perspective.
While the task force is expected to develop recommendations for the state involving water, energy and environmental considerations, Wuehler said counties need to retain control over local development decisions.
She also pointed to the value of having representatives from different agencies and parts of Nebraska in the same room to address questions about water, energy, infrastructure and development.
“I think the more conversation that we have and the verifiable information that we can bring back locally from Nebraska partners,” Wuehler said, “the reality is somewhere in between those two, and just having verifiable, trustworthy data is going to be a big deal for all of Nebraska.”
The governor's office has said the task force is intended to help Nebraska evaluate the impacts of future data center development while giving counties tools, zoning guidelines and policy frameworks to manage growth.
For Wuehler, the first meeting was primarily about getting the members acquainted and establishing the work ahead.
She told commissioners the meeting lasted more than four hours and left members with additional work to complete before they meet again.
The task force's work comes as Lincoln County continues to implement its own regulations addressing potential data center development. The county approved regulations earlier this year covering issues including water, electricity, noise, roads, emergency response, development costs and decommissioning.