Our work to build a more sustainable future in Nebraska
We’re aiming to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) on every grid where we operate. At the same time, we’re heavily focused on promoting water stewardship and climate-conscious cooling across our operations to minimize climate impact today and in the future. Some of our most advanced work on these goals is already underway in Nebraska, and today we’re sharing an update on new collaborations and projects for our Papillion data center campus, the surrounding region and a new site under construction in Omaha.
Expanded clean energy resources for Omahans
Recognizing our growth in Nebraska, we worked with Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) to pioneer a procurement framework that enables us to supply CFE resources to OPPD, execute large-scale clean energy deals with our efficient procurement process where possible, and share the cost savings and benefits with OPPD’s customer base — ultimately increasing access to clean energy capacity for all Nebraskans.
We’re putting this clean capacity framework into practice with the Pierce County Energy Center, a 420-megawatt (MW) solar system and a 680MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in northeast Nebraska that is expected to come online in 2027. Owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the Pierce County Energy Center will support our own 24/7 CFE goal and OPPD’s clean energy ambitions. Additionally, we will share the clean energy capacity attributes with OPPD for the benefit of all energy customers in the region.
The Pierce County Energy Center agreement builds on our collaboration — announced in May — to grant OPPD access to capacity rights from NextEra Energy Resources’ High Banks Wind Energy Center. The project has been online since December 2023 and is part of our long-term clean energy portfolio.
Creative collaboration with our utility, developer partners and end-users, is key to not only address grid reliability and capacity challenges, but also enable grid decarbonization and economic opportunities. The Pierce County Energy Center is estimated to create 540 jobs during construction and $5.3 million in annual economic activity during the project’s 20-year lifespan, according to a study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
As Rebecca Kujawa, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, says, “We’re excited to further our commitment to the state of Nebraska, where NextEra Energy Resources has invested more than $820 million since 2013, while continuing to collaborate with Google. We now have a large and growing portfolio of contracted wind, solar, and storage resources with Google as we help address the significant need for clean, reliable, affordable energy.”
As we grow Google's infrastructure, we’ll continue to invest in local clean energy resources that drive economic benefits for communities through local tax contributions and competitively-priced clean energy capacity.
Increased water security across Nebraska
As part of our efforts to support water security in communities where we operate, we’re working with local agencies and companies to promote the long-term health of the Platte River Basin.
We’re collaborating with N-Drip to progress our goal to replenish 120% of the water we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers. This work will enable farmers in the Platte River Basin to convert 1,000 acres of corn and soybean fields from flood irrigation to a micro-irrigation system, conserving groundwater resources and increasing yields. By reducing the need to pump water, N-Drip’s gravity-powered technology also lowers energy consumption and carbon emissions.
We’re also supporting Arable to accelerate agricultural technology in the Twin Platte Natural Resources District, leveraging field data so farmers can make data-driven irrigation decisions. This initiative will help deliver more precise irrigation, facilitating water savings while maintaining crop yield and quality.
To advance water replenishment, we’re funding the North Loup groundwater recharge project alongside the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and North Loup River Public Power and Irrigation District. This project will use agricultural irrigation canals outside of the irrigation season to increase groundwater recharge and aquifer storage abilities and help strengthen regional climate adaptation.
Sustained economic impact
In 2023, we helped support more than $4.4 billion in economic activity for thousands of Nebraska businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators and developers. Grow with Google has partnered with more than 70 organizations to train 76,000+ Nebraskans on digital skills, including organizations such as public libraries, chambers of commerce and community colleges.
We’re committed to driving sustainable solutions that not only support our own operations but also benefit our neighbors in the greater Omaha metro and across the state. Learn more about Google data centers and our sustainable operations.
