Google Data Center Withheld Resource Usage Data
The facility operated by Agate LLC redacted electricity and water usage figures, citing trade secret protections.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Data Centers
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The Google Data Center in Lincoln, operating as Agate LLC, has withheld its water and electricity usage data from public disclosure. The company classified these resource metrics as trade secrets despite a recent state mandate requiring data centers to report their environmental impact.
Why it matters
The transparency dispute highlights tensions between corporate data secrecy and state-mandated oversight of infrastructure. An executive order signed by Governor Jim Pillen now requires data centers to disclose how their operations affect local power grids and water supplies.
The Lincoln data center spans a gross floor area of 288,530 square feet. Agate LLC justified the redaction of resource consumption figures by citing state statutes Neb. Rev. State §§ 81-1527, 84-712.05, and NAC TITLE 115, CH. 2.
The players
Jim Pillen
The Governor of Nebraska who signed an executive order requiring data centers to report their impact on state resources.
Agate LLC
The corporate entity under which the Google Data Center in Lincoln operates.
Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment
The state agency responsible for maintaining a Data Center Task Force and overseeing resource reporting.
The details
Agate LLC claims the resource consumption figures are proprietary information protected under Nebraska state statutes. In response to the withholding of this information, 10/11 filed a formal public records request on September 30 to compel the release of the usage data.
Timeline
Governor Jim Pillen signed the Executive Order on July 20.
Data center usage reports were due to the state on September 30.
The public records request was filed on September 30.
The Tech Race
This dispute reflects a broader national trend where state governments are attempting to quantify the immense resource demands of hyperscale computing facilities. It follows the mandate established by Governor Jim Pillen's July 20 Executive Order on data center resource reporting.
Residents may see increased state scrutiny of local utility demands as officials track how large-scale facilities affect area water and power reliability. The outcome of the pending records request will determine the level of transparency taxpayers have regarding industrial resource allocation.
The takeaway
The struggle over resource transparency illustrates the growing public interest in the environmental footprint of major tech infrastructure. As data centers continue to expand, local oversight will remain a central point of negotiation between private firms and state regulators.
Further reading
For more information on infrastructure oversight, visit the Data Centers section.
More information
Access state-level environmental data via the Nebraska DEQ resource reporting portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 1011now.
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