TL;DR
Get the latest gadgets delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Google’s Agate LLC data center in Lincoln marked its electricity and water figures as trade secrets in a Nebraska annual report, according to KOLN. The station reported that copying text from the redacted document revealed 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of water use; state officials had not publicly confirmed those figures in the supplied report.
Google’s Lincoln data center, listed in Nebraska filings as Agate LLC, redacted its reported electricity and water use as trade-secret information, but KOLN said the figures could be recovered by copying text from the filed document. The station reported that Agate listed 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of water use for the reporting period, figures that matter as Nebraska requires data centers to report their effects on local resources.
KOLN reported on Sept. 30 that Agate LLC cited state statutes and regulations to withhold its resource-use figures from public view in a report submitted to Nebraska’s Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, or DWEE. The station said the document’s redaction did not prevent the text from being selected, copied and pasted into another file. The figures were reported by KOLN after that process; the supplied source does not say that DWEE independently verified them.
According to the station’s account of the filing, Agate reported 52.65 megawatts during peak electricity demand and 13.299 megagallons of water for cooling towers, evaporative systems and site operations over the last year. A megagallon is one million gallons, making the reported water figure 13.299 million gallons. KOLN compared that amount with the City of Lincoln’s reported use on Sept. 29, but the supplied report does not give a matching annual or daily comparison window for the city figure.
KOLN said Google used the same trade-secret rationale for reports from its Omaha and Papillion data centers. It also reported that the six data centers with filings as of Sept. 30 listed a combined 765 million gallons of water use for the previous year. That total covers the six reporting facilities, not all data centers in Nebraska. The station said it filed a public-records request with DWEE on Sept. 30 seeking the redacted information from Agate’s report.
Why Nebraska Needs Clear Usage Figures
Data centers use electricity to run computing equipment and water in some cooling and site operations. Their reported demand can matter to communities planning for water supplies, power capacity and local infrastructure. Nebraska’s reporting process is intended to help state officials examine those effects, but redacted figures limit what residents can learn from the public filings.
The reported Lincoln figures offer a specific account of one facility’s stated peak power demand and annual water consumption, but they do not by themselves establish the data center’s full effect on local resources. The source does not provide details such as the facility’s electricity use across the whole year, how its water use varies over time, or how much of that water is drawn from particular sources. Those distinctions matter when comparing a facility’s report with citywide or statewide totals.
There is also a difference between a document being filed and its information being publicly accessible. KOLN’s account suggests the redactions did not fully conceal the text in the submitted file, while the company had formally claimed the figures were confidential. The state’s response to the records request may clarify which information can be released and how officials handle similar claims in future reports.
water cooling systems for data centers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Nebraska’s Data Center Reporting Rule
Nebraska data centers are required to submit annual reports to DWEE, according to KOLN. The department’s Data Center Task Force is overseeing the reporting process under an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen on July 20, 2026. The order calls for data centers to self-report their impacts on state resources, with attention to water, the power grid and local infrastructure. Reports were due Sept. 30.
KOLN said Agate LLC cited Neb. Rev. Stat. sections 81-1527 and 84-712.05, along with provisions in Title 115, Chapter 2 of the Nebraska Administrative Code, when treating its water and electricity information as trade secrets. The source does not include the full legal arguments or a DWEE decision on whether those particular figures qualify for confidential treatment.
The same filings also included information about tax incentives. KOLN reported that the companies said they use or expect to use sales and use tax exemptions under the Nebraska Advantage Act, while stating they had received no rebates under that program to date and had received or expected no incentive payments under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act. Those statements concern tax benefits, not the redacted resource figures. The supplied report also says Agate listed a gross floor area of 288,530 square feet.
““utilize or expect to utilize””
— Agate LLC, as quoted in its Nebraska filing by KOLN
energy-efficient data center power meters
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Questions About the Redacted Filing
The reported amounts should be understood as figures KOLN said it recovered from the filing, rather than as independently confirmed measurements. The supplied material does not include a response from Google or DWEE confirming the numbers, explaining the redaction method, or commenting on whether the disclosure resulted from a document-handling error.
It is also unclear whether DWEE will release an unredacted copy, how the department will decide the public-records request KOLN filed on Sept. 30, or whether it considers the figures legally confidential. The exact time period covered by the phrase “last year” is not spelled out beyond the report’s reference to the 2025 annual reporting period. The source does not explain whether the electricity figure represents a single peak, an average, or another measure beyond describing it as peak electrical demand.
The 765-million-gallon combined figure reported for six facilities is limited to the data centers that had filed by Sept. 30, according to KOLN. The source does not establish that all Nebraska data centers had reported by then or that the six facilities represent the full statewide total.
water usage monitoring devices for industrial facilities
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
DWEE Records Request and Review
The next immediate development is DWEE’s response to KOLN’s public-records request for Agate’s redacted information, filed Sept. 30. The department’s decision could clarify whether it will disclose the reported resource figures and how it interprets the confidentiality claims made in the filing.
State officials are also overseeing the reporting process through the Data Center Task Force created to carry out the governor’s July 20 executive order. The supplied source does not announce a deadline for a decision on the request, a public hearing, or an enforcement action. Further reporting would be needed to establish whether the department confirms the figures, whether Google comments, and what additional facilities’ reports show.
data center cooling tower water meters
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What figures did KOLN report for Google’s Lincoln data center?
KOLN said Agate LLC reported 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of water use for cooling towers, evaporative systems and site operations over the reporting period.
How were the redacted figures recovered?
KOLN reported that selecting the redacted text box in the document, copying it and pasting it into another file revealed the text. The supplied source does not say whether DWEE or Google has confirmed that account.
Did Google’s filing describe the figures as confidential?
Yes. According to KOLN, Agate LLC claimed the electricity and water information was trade-secret material and cited Nebraska statutes and administrative rules.
What is Nebraska requiring data centers to report?
According to KOLN, the annual reporting process covers data centers’ impacts on state resources, including water, electricity and local infrastructure. Reports were due Sept. 30, 2026.
Have state officials verified or released the figures?
The supplied report does not say that DWEE independently verified the numbers or released an unredacted filing. KOLN said it submitted a public-records request on Sept. 30 seeking Agate’s redacted information.
Source: fediverse
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
