Petition to Protect Nebraska's Water, Agriculture, and Communities
Why This Petition Matters
Nebraska is experiencing an unprecedented wave of large-scale AI and cloud computing data center development.

Across our state there are currently approximately:

19 operating data center campuses
11 proposed or planned data center projects
12 communities that have enacted data center moratoriums
3-4 Nebraska communities currently discussing or requesting pre-moratorium protections while studies are completed
Together these projects represent thousands of acres of industrial development, billions of dollars in investment, and electrical demands measured in gigawatts.

While these facilities can create jobs and strengthen digital infrastructure, they also raise important questions about long-term impacts on:

• Nebraska's groundwater
• The Ogallala Aquifer
• Prime agricultural land
• Electrical infrastructure
• Air quality
• Wildlife habitat
• Local roads
• Emergency services
• Rural communities
• Taxpayer-funded infrastructure
• These questions deserve careful study before irreversible decisions are made.

Nebraska's Greatest Natural Resource
The Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the world.

It supplies water for:

• Family farms
• Ranches
• Livestock
• Food production
• Municipal drinking water
• Small towns
• Industries throughout western and central Nebraska
• Unlike a reservoir, groundwater often requires decades—or even centuries—to naturally recharge.

Every major industrial project relying on groundwater should carefully evaluate long-term sustainability alongside agricultural and community needs.

Nebraska's future depends on protecting this resource.

 
Nebraska Agriculture Feeds America
Agriculture is Nebraska's largest industry.

Our state is nationally recognized for producing:

• Corn
• Soybeans
• Beef
• Pork
• Ethanol
• Dairy products
• Dry beans
• Specialty crops

Reliable water supplies support:

• Irrigation
• Livestock
• Food processing
• Rural economies
• Thousands of family farms

As industrial water and electricity demands grow, Nebraskans deserve to understand how future development could affect agriculture over the coming decades.

 
Understanding Modern AI Data Centers
Today's hyperscale AI campuses are very different from traditional office server buildings.

Many include:

• Hundreds of thousands of AI computer chips
• Multiple warehouse-sized server buildings
• Massive electrical substations
• High-voltage transmission lines
• Backup power systems
• Large cooling plants
• Water storage systems
• Stormwater infrastructure
• Security facilities
• Fiber optic networks

Depending on design, campuses may use:

• Direct air-side economization (free cooling)
• Direct liquid cooling
• Rear-door heat exchangers
• Closed-loop chilled water systems
• Cooling towers
• Hybrid cooling technologies

Each cooling method has different impacts on:

• Water consumption
• Electricity demand
• Heat discharge
• Noise
• Air emissions

Questions Every Nebraska Community Should Ask
Before approving large-scale industrial developments, communities deserve clear answers.

Water

• How much water will the project use each day?
• How much each year?
• What is the maximum permitted withdrawal?
• Will groundwater be used?
• Will municipal water be used?
• How could drought affect operations?
• Will nearby private wells be impacted?

Electricity

• How many megawatts or gigawatts will the facility require?
• Will new substations be built?
• Will new transmission lines cross farmland?
• Will additional power generation be required?
• Could electric rates be affected?

Agriculture

• How many acres of productive farmland will be converted?
• Will irrigation systems be relocated?
• Could drainage patterns change?
• How will nearby livestock operations be affected?

Environmental Protection

• What environmental studies have been completed?
• What wildlife surveys were performed?
• Were threatened or endangered species evaluated?
• What wetlands will be impacted?
• How will stormwater be managed?

Air Quality

• Will diesel generators be installed?
• How many hours can they operate annually?
• What emissions permits are required?
• How will nearby residents be protected?

Community Infrastructure
Who pays for:

• Roads
• Bridges
• Water lines
• Sewer improvements
• Fire protection
• Police services
• Emergency response
• Electrical upgrades

Financial Transparency

• What tax incentives are being provided?
• How long do incentives last?
• What benefits remain afterward?
• What happens if ownership changes?
• Who pays if the facility closes?

 
Nebraska Projects Currently Underway
Across Nebraska, development involves numerous companies, developers, utilities, and industrial partners.

Examples include projects involving:

• Google
• Crusoe
• Monolith
• Tenaska
• AAIM Data Centers

Major utility providers include:

• Lincoln Electric System (LES)
• Omaha Public Power District (OPPD)
• Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)
• Municipal utilities
• Regional Rural Public Power Districts

Many projects also require new substations, transmission infrastructure, natural gas infrastructure, water infrastructure, and transportation improvements.

Communities deserve complete information regarding these long-term investments.

 
Why Responsible Planning Matters
Good planning benefits everyone.

Responsible development should balance:

• Economic opportunity
• Private investment
• Job creation
• Water conservation
• Agricultural preservation
• Wildlife protection
• Infrastructure capacity
• Public transparency
• Long-term sustainability

Nebraska can support innovation while protecting the natural resources that make our state unique.

 
Petition Goals
We respectfully ask Nebraska's elected officials, state agencies, county boards, planning commissions, Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), and local governments to:

• Protect the Ogallala Aquifer and Nebraska's groundwater resources.
• Require independent water availability studies before approving large industrial developments.
• Require transparent reporting of projected water use, electricity demand, and cooling technologies.
• Conduct comprehensive environmental, agricultural, wildlife, and infrastructure impact studies.
• Preserve productive farmland and rural communities whenever possible.
• Ensure taxpayers are not responsible for unnecessary infrastructure expansion.
• Increase public notice, transparency, and community participation throughout the permitting process.
• Develop long-term statewide planning for AI and hyperscale data center growth that balances economic development with resource conservation.
• Place Nebraska's long-term water security, food production, and natural resources at the center of every major development decision.
   
  Closing Statement
  Nebraska is more than a place on the map—it is our home.

Our rivers, aquifers, farmland, ranches, wildlife, and rural communities have sustained generations of Nebraskans and helped feed millions of people across America.

The decisions we make today will shape Nebraska for decades to come.

We believe economic development and environmental stewardship can work together when decisions are made openly, thoughtfully, and with the best available science.

By signing this petition, we ask our leaders to ensure that growth never comes at the expense of Nebraska's water, agriculture, or future generations.