Papillion / Sarpy County — Nebraska
Papillion, Sarpy County, Nebraska
CLEAR PATH
Trajectory: No moratorium activity, no significant zoning changes, no new opposition in last 12 months.
Last updated 2026-03-29
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.
Inside this score
How the 100 points break down.
Each dimension is scored out of its own weight, and the four add up to the score. A higher score is a clearer market-level path; it is not a likelihood of approval for a parcel.
- Regulatory Riskweight 3024 / 30
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures zoning classification, approval pathway type (by-right, CUP, rezoning), moratorium status, and regulatory trajectory. Higher scores indicate clearer regulatory paths.
Reads the written route and the stated direction of a market's rules as of the edition date. It does not read a particular parcel's zoning, and a rule recorded here can change at the next meeting of the body.
- Infrastructure Readinessweight 2522 / 25
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures utility capacity, grid interconnection availability, water supply adequacy, and infrastructure investment commitments. Higher scores indicate better infrastructure readiness.
Reads the utility, grid, water and investment record for the market. It does not confirm capacity at a given site, and delivery timelines for power and water are separate from entitlement risk.
- Opposition Densityweight 2522 / 25
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures organized opposition groups, petition scale, public hearing attendance, political consequences (elections, recalls), and legal challenges. Higher scores indicate less opposition.
Reads organised opposition that shows on the public record: groups, petitions, hearings, elections and legal challenges. A quiet record is not evidence of support, and a loud one is not a count of votes.
- Approval Timelineweight 2016 / 20
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures historical approval durations, number of sequential approval steps, legal challenges affecting timeline, and demonstrated fast-track capabilities. Higher scores indicate faster approvals.
Reads how long recorded approvals have taken and how many sequential steps they needed. Past duration is a record of what happened, not a schedule for the next application.
24 + 22 + 22 + 16 = 84 of 100 · Clear Path
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.
SourceDates on the record
Dates on the record.
As of the 29 Mar 2026 edition
No date after the 29 Mar 2026 edition is on the record for Papillion.
Only dates that this market's own timeline gives. No outcome is named.
Known 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.
From the record
What the public record holds for Papillion.
No verified case file or Jurisdiction Data note is tied to this market yet. The score stands on the sources cited on this page.
Sector page: Data centers
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