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ApprovedStableRisk Index — Q1 2026
Papillion / Sarpy County — Nebraska
Papillion, Sarpy County, Nebraska
84/100
CLEAR PATH
Trajectory: No moratorium activity, no significant zoning changes, no new opposition in last 12 months.
Last updated 2026-03-29
Community risk review · approving-market signal
Papillion / Sarpy County — Nebraska's score is backed by the record of participants driving it.
RealClear computes a Community Impact Score (0–100) for every named participant in this jurisdiction's entitlement record. Approving markets typically carry pro-development CIS leaders at the top of the record — elected executives, planning staff, and economic-development bodies with consistent posture across multiple projects. Open the cross-referenced case files below for the full per-actor weight breakdown.
Investment Thesis
Sarpy County explicitly lists data centers in its zoning code. OPPD ranked #2 nationally for DC power share. No organized opposition. Meta has expanded 5 times since 2016.
Sarpy County did something almost no jurisdiction has done: it put "Data Centers" in the zoning code by name. Section 22 of the IL district lists them explicitly. Meta has expanded five times since 2016. Google broke ground on a 260-acre campus. OPPD — ranked second nationally for data center power share — approved 2.5 GW of new generation. The neighbors, according to the Omaha World-Herald, "have only positive things to say."
Sarpy County Section 22 explicitly lists "Data Centers" as a use category in the IL district. This is not a general industrial allowance — it is a named, permitted use.
OPPD is the standout utility. S&P ranked Omaha #2 nationally after Northern Virginia for DC power. Data centers consumed 21% of OPPD electricity sales in 2024 (up from 1% in 2018).
Meta campus: 3.6M+ SF across 8+ buildings with multiple expansion phases since 2016. Google: building permit for 281,792 SF on 260 acres.
ImagiNE Nebraska Act provides sales tax exemptions on servers and equipment. A $1B DC investment can claim $12.4M in tax incentives.
The one political risk: Sarpy County Board opposed state tax incentive bill LB209, citing $5.8M in annual property tax revenue lost to abatements.
Dimension Breakdown
How this market scores across four dimensions.
Regulatory Risk
30 pts
Data centers explicitly listed in Sarpy County IL (Light Industrial) district Section 22. Eight+ data centers approved and operating. Papillion GI district accommodates industrial uses.
Score: 24/30. Explicitly listed in the zoning code. 8+ data centers approved and operating. No moratorium, no restrictive amendments.
Infrastructure Readiness
25 pts
OPPD is among most DC-ready utilities. S&P ranked Omaha #2 after Northern Virginia. Board approved 2.5 GW new generation (August 2023) with $5B capital plan. Data centers consumed 21% of OPPD electricity sales in 2024.
Score: 22/25. OPPD: 2.5 GW new generation approved, $5B capital plan. #2 national ranking for DC power share. But demand may outpace generation by 2035.
Opposition Density
25 pts
No organized opposition. One property owner raised concerns during Meta approval. Omaha World-Herald: "neighbors have only positive things to say."
Score: 22/25. No organized opposition. Neighbors "have only positive things to say." One property owner raised concerns during Meta approval.
Approval Timeline
20 pts
Meta went from announcement (April 2016) to operational (2019) — roughly 3 years. Google obtained building permit for 281,792 SF facility on 260 acres.
Score: 16/20. Meta: announcement to operational in approximately 3 years. Google obtained building permit for 281,792 SF facility. Efficient processing but not as fast as Abilene or TRIC.
Key Findings
What the evidence supports.
Sarpy County Section 22 explicitly lists "Data Centers" as a use category in the IL district.
Sarpy County Zoning RegulationsData centers consumed 21% of OPPD electricity sales in 2024, up from 1% in 2018. OPPD approved 2.5 GW of new generation.
WOWTMeta campus expanded to 3.6M+ SF across 8+ buildings with multiple expansion phases since 2016.
Meta Data Centers blogIncentives & Programs
Why developers are choosing here.
ImagiNE Nebraska Act (2020) — sales tax exemptions on servers and equipment
Investment and wage tax credits. A $1B DC investment can claim $12.4M in tax incentives.
SourceGoogle $4.7B total Nebraska investment since 2019
Across Papillion, Omaha, and Lincoln. Over 79,000 Nebraskans trained in digital skills.
SourceKnown Risks
No market is risk-free. Here's what to watch.
The credibility of a favorable score depends on honest risk disclosure. These risks are documented in public records.
Sarpy County Board opposed state tax incentive bill LB209 — loses $5.8M in property tax annually
Data center demand may outpace OPPD generation additions by 2035
Recommendation
CLEAR PATH — Score 84/100
Favorable market. Explicit zoning code listing, OPPD's massive generation pipeline, and no organized opposition.
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About This Index
Published Q1 2026RealClear gives real estate development teams cited entitlement research before they commit serious diligence spend. This index scores U.S. markets across four dimensions of data-center entitlement risk: regulatory complexity, infrastructure readiness, community opposition density, and approval timeline. It is market-level triage, not a parcel score. Submit a specific parcel and you get a 24-hour cited brief whose claims trace to primary sources.
Read the full methodology20Markets Scored
15Index States
249+Source-Backed Claims
Ready to screen a property candidate? RealClear returns a 24-hour cited brief covering zoning posture, approval path, community posture, comparable outcomes, open questions, and next questions for counsel, civil, utility, or the local team.