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Nebraska Data Center Intel

Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Nebraska — updated daily.

Recent Nebraska data center news

  • Construction employment rises in 30 states over past year, AGC reports

    The Associated General Contractors of America reported that construction employment increased in 30 states and the District of Columbia between May 2025 and May 2026.

    • Main announcement: AGC reported state construction employment increased in 30 states and D.C. between May 2025 and May 2026; Texas added 18,700 jobs (2.1%), North Carolina added 13,600, Wisconsin added 9,000, and Wisconsin posted the largest percentage increase (6.2%); California recorded the largest annual decline at 13,100 jobs (−1.5%).
    • Monthly detail and risks: From April to May, construction employment increased in 23 states and D.C., declined in 22 states, and was unchanged in 5 states; monthly leaders included Texas (+3,600) and Wisconsin (+2,900). AGC officials Ken Simonson and Jeffrey D. Shoaf cautioned that opposition to data center projects and uncertainty over federal transportation funding pose threats to future construction job growth.
  • Google commits to replenish more water than it uses by 2030

    Google announced a goal to replenish more water than it uses by 2030 and committed $17 million to water stewardship projects across seven U.S. states.

    • Main announcement: Google committed to replenish more water than it uses by 2030, is investing $17 million in new water stewardship projects across Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas, and is reviewing 700+ RFI submissions to identify early-concept projects eligible for co-funding that can come online before 2030. The announcement was published in a company blog (June 3) by Google leaders Bikash Koley and Ben Townsend, and Google reported replenishing over 7 billion gallons in 2025 and expects to replenish over 19 billion gallons by 2030 through its stewardship projects.
    • Background and implementation details: Google currently has 165 water stewardship projects across 97 watersheds and pledged to help local utilities modernize infrastructure, report annual water consumption, and use air cooling or recycled/alternative water in at-risk areas (noting Google states water cooling uses ~10% less energy than air cooling). Google joined the Data Center Innovation Initiative with Amazon, Meta and Microsoft to pilot sustainable data center technologies. Independent findings cited include Berkeley Lab data on U.S. data center water use (66 billion liters direct in 2023; 60–124 billion liters projected direct use by 2028 for hyperscale centers; ~800 billion liters indirect via electricity in 2023), and reports from Ceres and WRI on uneven corporate progress and global water stress.
  • Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots

    Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, posts the latest data center career opportunities on its jobs board.

    • Main announcement: Data Center Frontier and Pkaza have published a roundup of active data center job openings covering roles such as Mechanical Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Project Coordinator, Architect Design Manager, Electrical Project Manager, Commissioning Project Manager, Controls PM, Facility Operations Director, Project Executive (Owner’s Rep), and other critical-facilities positions across multiple U.S. locations (examples include Pittsburgh, PA; New Albany, OH; Ashburn, VA; Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; Naperville, IL). Many roles note remote, traveling, or multiple-city availability and relocation options where specified.
    • Background / details: This is a recurring/monthly jobs-posting series powered by Pkaza Critical Facilities Recruiting and the Data Center Frontier jobs board; listings emphasise employer needs for MEP/critical facilities design, commissioning, mission-critical power and cooling expertise, energy efficiency and LEED experience, and include travel/remote work options and multiple-site listings for several roles. No monetary values, contract amounts, or deal announcements are included.
  • Google’s water stewardship commitments for local communities

    Google is announcing new water stewardship commitments to responsibly manage water at its data centers and to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030.

    • Main announcement: Google commits to replenish more water than it consumes at its sites by 2030, listing five specific commitments (replenishment ambition, infrastructure modernization, air-cooled solutions for at-risk watersheds, transparent annual reporting, and pursuing reclaimed water). In 2025 Google replenished more than 7 billion gallons, currently manages 165 water stewardship projects across 97 watersheds, and states that projects (once fully implemented) are expected to replenish more than 19 billion gallons annually by 2030. Google is also evaluating more than 700 projects submitted to its Water Replenishment RFI.
    • Background and implementation details: Google says it has committed over $500 million to water, wastewater and water reuse infrastructure to date and is announcing $17 million in support of new projects across seven U.S. states (Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas). Example partners/actions include Ducks Unlimited (wetlands enhancement, Flint River WMA), The Great Outdoors Foundation + Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (convert 5,000 acres to perennial systems), Huron River Watershed Council (expand green infrastructure), Trust for Public Land (restore 84 acres of floodplain forest), and local utility programs such as Metropolitan Utilities District’s leak detection; many projects are ongoing and repayment/implementation timelines target completion/increase in replenishment by 2030.
  • Targeted Pressure: How Chinese Manufacturing Competition Impacts US States

    The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has published a report finding Chinese industrial policy is reshaping global manufacturing and harming industries across every U.S. state.

    • Main finding & method: The ITIF report (June 1, 2026) analyzes one “national power industry” per state using County Business Patterns employment data, HS/SITC export proxies, and global market-share series to conclude that state-backed Chinese subsidies, export pushes, and overcapacity are driving down prices and pressuring U.S. producers in sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, aircraft, and fabricated metals.
    • Key facts, numbers, and timelines:China plans ~$150 billion in semiconductor investment through 2030 vs. $52 billion under the U.S. CHIPS funding; the report cites $63.3 billion Chinese semiconductor spending in H1 2025, TSMC’s $165 billion U.S. investment announcement, GE Appliances’ $490 million Appliance Park investment (2025), and state/national export shares and HS-code trade series used throughout the analyses.
  • Amazon, Two Local ISPs Back Out of BEAD in Nebraska

    The Nebraska Broadband Office has announced it is reopening bidding for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

    • Reopening action: The Nebraska Broadband Office (NBO) will reopen bidding after some tentative grant winners refused to sign contracts; NBO said it will publish a new map outlining 1,735 remaining eligible locationsin the coming weeks.
    • Process and goals: NBO said the new round aims to promote competition between internet providers with a focus on quality and end-user experience; the announcement was made in a Friday release and includes a public map update timeline (coming weeks).
  • Great Plains Communications to Acquire Fastwyre Broadband’s Nebraska Holdings

    Great Plains Communications has agreed to acquire Fastwyre Broadband’s Nebraska holdings.

    • Acquisition details: GPC will acquire Fastwyre’s operations in more than two dozen Nebraska communities, providing current Fastwyre customers access to GPC technicians and call centers, expanded service options, and future network upgrades; customers will also gain access to GPC’s MEF-certified 20,000+ mile fiber network.
    • Integration and background: GPC will gradually upgrade and integrate Fastwyre into its existing network, will assimilate two dozen employees and Fastwyre customers into GPC services, and cited its financial strength and history of serving Nebraska for 115 years as context; the announcement does not disclose a purchase price or specific timeline beyond a gradual integration.
  • Climate Change Solutions - May 19, 2026

    The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) published its “Climate Change Solutions” newsletter summarizing recent policy updates, events, and briefings.

    • Main announcements: EESI highlights the release of text for the BUILD America 250 Act by Rep. Sam Graves and Rep. Rick Larsen to reinvest in roadways, public transportation, freight rail, and bridges; the newsletter also reports that the President signed S.1020 (P.L.119-90) extending hydropower construction deadlines. Names and bill identifiers: Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), S.1020 / P.L.119-90.
    • Background and related actions: The newsletter summarizes congressional activity including H.R.1346 (Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025) on E15 biofuel sales, advancement of the SECURE Grid Act (H.R.7257), and the IOOS Reauthorization Act (S.2126 / H.R.2294); it also promotes EXPO 2026 (June 24, Rayburn House Office Building 2168, 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., online option) and references EESI briefings and media coverage on data center water use and noise pollution.
  • BEAD Non-Deployment Funds Could Fund Precision Ag. States Are Still Waiting to Find Out

    Fiber operators and agricultural technology advocates at Fiber Connect argued that closing the precision agriculture gap requires a subsidized service model, a federal funding framework, and an education pipeline, with county agricultural extension offices as a distribution channel.

    • Main announcement/action: Panelists including Josh Etheridge (EPC), Kevin Driscoll (Netceed), Chris Crowe (t3 Broadband), and Thomas Tyler (C207 Partners) urged that connectivity alone is insufficient and called for subsidized managed services, explicit federal guidance for using non-deployment BEAD funds, and partnerships with county agricultural extension offices to deliver training and equipment access.
    • Background and details: The session (Orlando, May 18, 2026) highlighted that 86% of U.S. farms are family-owned and many earn under $350,000/year, that about $22 billion in BEAD non-deployment funds remain without federal guidance, and recommended connecting state broadband offices, state departments of agriculture, and ag extension offices to implement precision-ag programs.
  • Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots

    Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, has posted the latest data center job listings on its jobs board.

    • Monthly job roundup: The post lists multiple open roles including Power Applications Engineer, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Power Systems Sales Implementation Engineer, Architect Design Manager (CSA), Electrical Project Manager, Commissioning Project Manager, MEP Superintendent, Director of Data Center Facility Operations, Project Executive (Owner’s Rep), EHS Director, Mechanical Commissioning Lead, Mechanical Controls Engineer, Director of Project Deliverables, and Senior Electrical Engineer across numerous U.S. locations (examples: Pittsburgh, PA; New Albany, OH; Raleigh, NC; Dallas, TX; Charlotte, NC; Chesterton, IN; Denver, CO; New York, NY; Totowa, NJ), with many roles offering remote or multi-city travel options.
    • Client and role context: Positions are with mission-critical data center developers, engineering design and commissioning firms, electrical contracting firms, general contractors, and digital infrastructure firms; job descriptions emphasize reliability, energy efficiency, sustainable design, and LEED expertise, and note career-growth opportunities, competitive salaries and benefits. Many listings reference travel requirements and alternative available locations for implementation timelines (immediate hiring/use by clients), but no specific salary or funding amounts are disclosed.

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