Another large tract of land in Lancaster County is being considered for data center development as local officials study how to regulate the rapidly growing industry.
More than 560 acres northwest of Lincoln have been placed under a purchase option involving a company connected to Nevada-based Arevia Power, according to records obtained by Nebraska Public Media News.
Nebraska Public Media reports Lincoln landowner Larry Coffey has optioned the property to Coffee Grounds Data LLC.
The purchase option identifies Ricardo Graf, chief development officer for Arevia Power. Coffey told Nebraska Public Media that he was approached about the property earlier this year and that developers are considering the land for a data center.
Graf told Nebraska Public Media that Coffee Grounds Data is evaluating the property as part of what he described as an early-stage site diligence process.
He said the project is preliminary and that a development plan has not yet been determined.
The purchase option reportedly runs for four years. Such an agreement gives the developer the right to purchase the property under specified terms but does not require the company to complete the purchase.
Data Center Interest Growing Around Lincoln
The northwest Lincoln property is the latest indication of significant interest in data center development in Lancaster County.
Landowners near Hallam have previously entered purchase agreements covering more than 1,400 acres for another potential hyperscale data center development. Nebraska Public Media reported that the project is connected to Stark Power, which acquired data center and power plant developer Sagebrush Infrastructure earlier this year.
Google also operates a data center near Interstate 80 and North 56th Street in Lincoln, with additional construction continuing at that location.
The growing number of projects comes as Lancaster County officials consider how future data centers should be handled under county zoning regulations.
The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners recently created a Data Center Task Force to study land-use guidelines and potential regulations, including where data centers should be located, and the procedures developers would have to follow.
According to Lancaster County, the task force will meet approximately six times between October and the end of December. The study applies to areas under Lancaster County zoning jurisdiction rather than cities and villages that administer their own zoning.
Applications from Lancaster County residents interested in serving on the task force close Friday, September 25.
The county’s review comes amid broader discussion in Nebraska over the electricity, water, infrastructure and land-use demands associated with large data centers.
Gov. Jim Pillen also created a state Data Center Task Force this year. The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment says the state panel held its first meeting September 22 and is scheduled to meet again October 20.
No formal development plan for the northwest Lincoln property has been announced.