OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Pillen signed the bill in Lincoln, saying it will protect public power and ratepayers while paving the way for large-load generation centers.
- "As we grow and make more electricity and more power plants, the companies doing business will do that, not us, the ratepayers," Pillen said.
- One clear winner is Omaha-based energy company Tenaska, which worked with lawmakers to write and pass the bill. According to the Flatwater Free Press, Tenaska is working to build a large-scale operation south of Lincoln.
- The law allows private investors to choose which type of energy source they use for these power plants.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The demand for electricity is rising, which is why data centers like the Google facility off State Street in northwest Omaha are popping up across Nebraska.
Pillen signed the bill in Lincoln, saying it will protect public power and ratepayers while paving the way for what are called hyper centers. The governor and supporters, including representatives from the Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska Public Power District, said the law signals to big business that Nebraska will have even more electricity available in the future. According to Pillen, 11% of all electricity in the state already goes to data centers.
"As we grow and make more electricity and more power plants, the companies doing business will do that, not us, the ratepayers," Pillen said.
The new law allows private companies to build power plants to support computational and data centers, insulating publicly owned utilities from losing money if a project fails.
When asked who benefits from the bill beyond private companies, Pillen pointed to the state as a whole.
"So the State of Nebraska is a gigantic beneficiary. If we don't have behind the meter legislation, that means you and I are going to pay for it," Pillen said.
One clear winner is Omaha-based energy company Tenaska, which worked with lawmakers to write and pass the bill. According to the Flatwater Free Press, Tenaska is working to build a large-scale operation south of Lincoln.
"We have access to equipment. We have a wonderful reputation. We have great relationships with the entities that manufacture the turbines," Delette Marengo, Tenaska VP of Government and Public Relations, said.
The law allows private investors to choose which type of energy source they use for these power plants. Concerns about water quality around these facilities have been raised by people in and around Omaha. When those questions were brought to the governor, he pointed to an existing task force.
"We've got a task force, and new process is underway to protect called water quantity and water quality, so that we protect our aquifer, and we're combining and working with our natural resource districts," Pillen said.
There is no official construction date for the potential Tenaska center.
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