Amid the competitive landscape of tech development, Kearney, Nebraska once found itself vying for a major tech project. Situated on a 112-acre parcel northeast of town, the city had strategically positioned itself with access to key infrastructure and transportation links, hoping to lure a mysterious developer. Despite their efforts, it was Altoona, Iowa that landed the deal, later revealed to be with Facebook.
“The best way I can say it is (Kearney) got second in the Super Bowl,” stated Bennett. “But we made it to the Super Bowl.” This metaphor captures the city’s near-miss and ongoing ambition to become a tech hub. Kearney designated the land as Tech oNE, opening it up to data centers and crypto mining ventures.
Years of planning culminated in 2019 when Kearney allocated 11 acres of Tech oNE to Compute North for a bitcoin mining operation. This project quickly became a substantial revenue source for the city. However, the company declared bankruptcy, leading to a change in ownership, with Marathon Digital Holdings now managing the site. Marathon’s partnership with Mission Critical Worldwide aims to significantly increase power usage, potentially tripling the site’s electric bill over four years, offering Kearney a substantial tax revenue increase.
Community Feedback
The hum of technology has not gone unnoticed by local residents. Earlier this year, Lillyman discovered that the persistent noise troubling him was from a nearby cryptocurrency mining data center. “It’s pretty constant humming,” he shared. Although not disruptive enough to prompt relocations, the sound raised concerns about future expansions.
The news of a new five-megawatt data center planned for 2025 heightened Lillyman’s worries. “They kind of had a free license to expand in ways that seemed to me potentially dangerous,” he expressed, citing a lack of specific regulations for data centers. To address these concerns, Lillyman took to social media and engaged with the Kearney City Council, pushing for stringent zoning laws to manage the burgeoning industry.
Responding to community input, city officials formed a 10-member advisory committee to collaborate on new regulations. These rules introduced noise limits and required developers to secure conditional use permits, along with water usage reports—steps intended to curb unregulated expansion and protect residents.
What’s Next?
As Kearney looks to the future, the proposed data center by Worldwide Mission Critical is pending approval under the new regulations. Construction is scheduled to start upon receiving the green light, with the initial phase projected for late 2027 completion. The center aims for a full 368-megawatt capacity by 2030, marking a significant milestone in Kearney’s tech ambitions.
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