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A KOLN review found that text covered by redaction boxes in Nebraska data center reports could be copied into another document. The exposed filings report 13.299 million gallons of annual water use and 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand for Google’s Lincoln site; a separate Papillion filing reports 547.88 million gallons of water use.
A redaction error in Nebraska data center reports allowed KOLN to recover figures that Google-owned facilities had marked as trade secrets, exposing reported water use and peak electricity demand for the company’s Lincoln site. The filings reviewed by the station say Lincoln’s Agate LLC used 13.299 million gallons of water over the last year and reported 52.65 megawatts at peak electrical demand; a separate Papillion filing reports much higher annual water use.
KOLN reported that the figures became visible when a user highlighted text beneath a redaction box in a report submitted to Nebraska’s Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE), then copied and pasted it into another document. Google’s Lincoln facility, identified in the filing as Agate LLC, had cited state statutes and regulations in claiming its electricity and water figures were trade-secret information. KOLN said the company did the same for its Omaha and Papillion sites.
The station’s report says Agate listed 13.299 megagallons—13.299 million gallons—across cooling towers, evaporative systems and site operations for the last year. The filing also reports a peak electrical demand of 52.65 megawatts. Those are figures from the company’s report as described by KOLN, not an independent measurement of facility operations.
KOLN also reported that a filing for Google’s Papillion data center, operating as Fireball Group LLC, listed 547.88 megagallons of water consumption for 2025. Across six data centers reporting by September 30, the station calculated reported water use at 765 million gallons. KOLN said it filed a public records request with DWEE on September 30 seeking the information that remained redacted in Agate’s report.
Water and Power Figures Enter Public View
The disclosures offer Nebraska residents and officials a clearer view of the resource demands reported by large data centers, facilities whose water consumption and electricity needs can be relevant to local utilities, water planning and infrastructure decisions. The figures may help inform questions about how individual sites fit into regional demand, but they do not by themselves establish an effect on household supply, utility rates or grid reliability.
The distinction among the filings matters. Agate’s reported 13.299 million gallons is a figure for the Lincoln site, while Fireball’s 547.88 million gallons is for the Papillion facility’s 2025 annual water consumption. KOLN’s combined 765 million-gallon figure covers six reporting data centers, not just Google’s sites. The reports give communities and state agencies information to examine, while the precise implications depend on factors such as measurement methods, water sources and patterns of use that the available account does not detail.
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Nebraska’s Data Center Reporting Process
Nebraska data centers are required to submit annual reports to DWEE. The reporting process is overseen by the department’s Data Center Task Force, following an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen on July 20, 2026. KOLN described the order as requiring data centers to self-report their effects on state resources, particularly water, power grids and local infrastructure. Reports were due September 30.
The company filings also address state tax incentives. KOLN said the reports describe facilities as using or expecting to use sales and use tax exemptions under the Nebraska Advantage Act, while stating that no rebates had been received to date under that program and no incentive payments had been received or were expected under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act. The station reported expected 2025 tax refunds of $55,822,472 for Agate, $39,171,573.39 for Fireball and $22,558,881 for Westwood Solutions LLC, Google’s Omaha facility. These are reported expectations in the filings, not confirmation that refunds were paid.
“The facilities “utilize or expect to utilize” sales and use tax exemptions under the Nebraska Advantage Act.”
— Google data center reports, as quoted by KOLN
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Scope and Verification Still Open
The figures became accessible because of the way the documents were redacted; KOLN’s account does not describe an official DWEE correction or independent verification of the recovered text. It also does not establish whether the reported water and power numbers have been checked against utility or operational records. The reported peak electricity demand is not an annual electricity-consumption total.
It remains unclear whether DWEE will release unredacted versions, change its document-handling practices or determine whether the trade-secret claims were valid. The source report also does not explain the water-use measurement period for every facility in the six-site total, or how much of that total was used by Google sites. The expected tax refunds are reported projections; whether and when those amounts will be received is not established in the account.
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Records Request and State Review
KOLN said it filed a public records request with DWEE on September 30 seeking the redacted information in Agate’s report. The department’s response, any additional documents it releases and any explanation of the redaction issue could clarify the figures and the basis for withholding them.
DWEE’s Data Center Task Force is overseeing the state reporting process. The source report does not identify a deadline for a review of the newly exposed figures or describe a planned change to the redaction process. Further reporting may establish whether state officials will assess the submitted data, and whether additional filings provide comparable details about water, electricity and local infrastructure impacts.
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Key Questions
What did the redaction error expose?
KOLN reported that text beneath redaction boxes could be recovered by copying and pasting it elsewhere. The recovered filing information included 13.299 million gallons of annual water use and 52.65 megawatts of peak electrical demand for Google’s Lincoln facility, Agate LLC.
How much water did Google’s Papillion data center report using?
KOLN said the filing for Fireball Group LLC, Google’s Papillion data center, lists 547.88 million gallons for its 2025 annual water consumption.
Does 52.65 megawatts represent the Lincoln site’s yearly electricity use?
No. The figure is described as peak electrical demand, not total electricity consumed over a year. The report does not provide an annual electricity-consumption total for Agate.
Were the reported tax refunds paid?
The figures KOLN reported are expected refunds from 2025 taxes. Its account does not confirm that the refunds were issued or received.
What happens to the redacted information now?
KOLN said it filed a public records request with Nebraska DWEE on September 30. The department’s response and any follow-up review of the filings or redaction process were not described in the report.
Source: hn
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