Cass County residents gather in opposition of potential data centers coming to their area
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Cass County has joined the litany of Nebraska counties looking to regulate and even temporarily ban data centers from being built in their area, after a meeting of the planning commission on Monday.
Over 100 people flocked to the Cass County Fairgrounds for the meeting, where commissioners discussed a potential zoning ordinance that would regulate the development, siting and operational requirements for data center facilities in the county.
A 10/11 reporter at the meeting heard from more than a dozen people who spoke in the half hour allotted for public comment, none of them in favor of data centers.
Most of the community urged the planning commission, and the county at large, to learn more about how data centers operate and how they might impact the area before moving forward with any development plans.
Many also argued that data centers will hurt the environment, and drive people away from their small town communities.
Pamela Kragt, a Cass County resident, said while she may only leave a small impact living in the county, the elected officials deciding whether to allow data centers “will have a huge impact for generations to come.”
“We live in Cass County in the United States of America, and we still have a say,” Kragt said. “The AI data centers are not a democratic or a Republican issue. Isn’t that funny? First thing I can think of in a long, long time where nobody gives a crap if you’re a Democrat or a Republican.”
The planning commission ultimately voted to recommend its regulations to the Cass County Board of Commissioners, also asking the board to do a third party study to see how other counties have implemented similar measures.
The planning commission also held a vote recommending that the board place a moratorium on data centers while they continue ironing out regulations. They did not give a specific time frame on how long that moratorium should last.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.