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.