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KOLN reported that text covered by redactions in Nebraska data-center filings could be copied into another document, revealing reported resource-use figures for Google facilities. The filings list 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of annual water use for Lincoln’s Agate LLC site, while the figures and broader public-disclosure questions remain subject to the records process.
A redaction flaw in Nebraska data-center filings allowed KOLN to copy and recover figures that Google facilities had marked as trade secrets, including reported water use and electricity demand at the company’s Lincoln site. The report says Agate LLC listed 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of water use for the reporting period, bringing previously obscured resource-use information into public view as the state collects data-center impact reports.
KOLN reported that Nebraska’s Department of Water, Energy, and Environment requires data centers to submit annual reports, but some information was hidden from public view after companies claimed it was trade secret material. Google did so for its facilities in Lincoln, Omaha and Papillion, according to the station. The Lincoln site is listed in the filings as Agate LLC.
The figures became accessible when a computer cursor was used to select text beneath a redacted box in the report, then copy and paste that text into a separate document. KOLN said Agate’s filing reported 13.299 megagallons—13.299 million gallons—of water used across cooling towers, evaporative systems and site operations during the year. It listed electricity use as 52.65 megawatts during peak demand; that is a peak-demand figure, not an annual electricity-consumption total.
KOLN also reported that records for six data centers submitted by September 30 showed 765 million gallons of water use in the previous year. The station said the largest reported amount was for Fireball Group LLC, Google’s Papillion site: 547.88 million gallons in its 2025 annual water-consumption report. These are figures reported in company filings as described by KOLN, not independently verified measurements in the supplied report.
What the Disclosed Usage Could Mean
The figures put a measurable scale on questions about how data centers draw on Nebraska’s water supply and electricity system. Water is used for cooling and other site operations, while peak electricity demand indicates the maximum load a facility reports placing on the power system. Those measures can matter to local residents, utilities and public agencies assessing resource needs and infrastructure planning.
The disclosure method also highlights a separate public-accountability issue: information intended to be withheld was reportedly recoverable from the filed documents. KOLN said it submitted a public-records request on September 30 seeking the redacted information from Agate LLC’s report. The available account does not establish whether the state or Google has since changed its handling of the filings.
The station reported additional recovered tax figures: Agate LLC expected a $55,822,472 refund from 2025 taxes, Fireball LLC expected $39,171,573.39, and Omaha’s Westwood Solutions LLC expected $22,558,881. The reports said the facilities used or expected to use sales and use tax exemptions under the Nebraska Advantage Act; they also stated that no rebates under that program had been received to date and that no incentive payments under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act had been received or were expected. These details matter to readers evaluating both resource demands and the public costs and benefits associated with data-center development.
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Nebraska’s Data Center Reporting Order
The filings were submitted under a statewide reporting effort overseen by the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment Data Center Task Force. KOLN said the task force is responsible for carrying out an executive order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen on July 20, requiring data centers to report their effects on water, power grids and local infrastructure. Reports were due September 30, 2026.
Companies cited Nebraska statutes and an administrative regulation when treating usage details as trade secrets, according to KOLN. The outlet’s report describes the information as recoverable because of the way the redactions were applied, rather than through a state decision to release the underlying figures. Agate’s documents also listed a gross floor area of 288,530 square feet. The source compares its reported water use with city water-use figures and Olympic-size swimming pools, but those comparisons do not change the reported measurement or establish how the site’s usage compares across different time periods.
“The companies claimed electricity and water usage was “trade secret information.””
— Google data-center entities, as described in KOLN’s report
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Questions About the Recovered Figures
The source account does not say whether the state or Google independently confirmed the recovered numbers, challenged KOLN’s interpretation, or corrected the documents after the redaction issue was identified. The figures should therefore be understood as values KOLN says it recovered from the filed reports, not as a separate audit of actual resource consumption.
It is also unclear from the report whether the 13.299 million gallons and 52.65 megawatts cover precisely comparable reporting periods, how peak demand was calculated, or whether the reported water figure reflects withdrawals, consumption, or another accounting measure. KOLN says the water entry covers cooling towers, evaporative systems and site operations, but the supplied material does not provide a detailed methodology. The source does not identify the reporting period for every figure in the six-facility total beyond describing it as water used in the previous year.
The status of KOLN’s public-records request is not included. Nor does the account establish whether all relevant filings contained the same redaction weakness or whether the state has taken steps to prevent further recovery of concealed text.
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Records Requests and State Review
The next developments will depend in part on the response to KOLN’s September 30 public-records request and on whether Nebraska’s agency releases, revises or explains the filings. The reports were due that day under the governor’s order, so the task force may also have additional submissions to review as it assesses the reported effects on resources and infrastructure.
Readers should watch for clarification from DWEE, the task force or Google about the redaction method, the status of the trade-secret claims and the basis of the usage figures. Until those details are available, the reported numbers provide a view into what the filings state, while questions about verification, measurement and public access remain open.
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Key Questions
What did the redaction flaw reveal about Google’s Lincoln data center?
KOLN said Agate LLC’s filing listed 52.65 megawatts of peak electricity demand and 13.299 million gallons of water use across cooling systems and site operations during the reported year.
How were the hidden figures recovered?
According to KOLN, text covered by a redacted box could be selected with a cursor and copied into another document, exposing the underlying words and figures.
How much water did the Papillion site report using?
KOLN reported that Fireball Group LLC, Google’s Papillion data center, listed 547.88 million gallons in its 2025 annual water-consumption report.
Have officials independently verified the figures?
The source report does not say that state officials or Google independently verified the recovered figures. They are reported as values KOLN extracted from company filings.
What happens to the records request?
KOLN said it filed a public-records request with Nebraska DWEE on September 30 seeking the redacted information. The supplied report does not give the agency’s response or a decision date.
Source: hn
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