Data center session packs the room at League conference, Scott says
Published 2:33 pm Monday, October 5, 2026
A session on data centers drew the biggest crowd at last week’s League of Nebraska Municipalities conference, said David Scott, Blair’s deputy city administrator of operations.
“That one was standing room only. There were so many people that wanted to go to that, and I just thought … it kind of spoke volumes to how upfront that is in people’s minds right now,” Scott said. “The other sessions had maybe 15 people, and this room was, you know, people lined up and down just trying to hear about this session on data centers.”
“Some of them do Bitcoin mining. Some of them are for, like, actual AI or other purposes.”
No data center has approached Blair. “I’ve not spoken with the council at all about the possibility of a data center, ’cause nobody’s knocking down our door right now to do that.”
On Blair’s location on the Missouri River: “I would think that too. But I’m guessing — and I’m no data center expert — but I’m guessing maybe it would make a difference on what side of your water plant you would want that.”
“I know they use an enormous amount of water, and they put off enormous amount of heat, and they use an enormous amount of electricity, which would not really involve the city. It would involve probably more OPPD.”
“I heard other people in the room from cities who are being approached. … There’s a lot of concerns out there, and a lot of people are for it, some people are against it. But the questions they asked and got answered were kind of interesting to me.”
“The Municipal League is an organization that is meant to support municipalities throughout the state, large and small, everything from the smallest village up to Omaha.”
“The Legislature will pass a bill … and nobody can understand what it is they said. But the League will step in and do all that research for us.”
“Sometimes the state government will make something that they think sounds great for us, but it maybe isn’t. It makes us less efficient, and so the League will go and kinda fight for us on that.”
The city pays the League’s dues, which Scott said are based on a municipality’s size and classification. “It’s set by, like, whether you’re a village or a city, or populations and things like that, I think.”
Blair’s budget lists $43,329 for the League of Nebraska Municipalities under utilities administration, public works and planning and zoning for fiscal year 2025 to 2026.
The conferences also provide training hours that city employees need to keep their certifications. “Utility workers have to get so many hours of training to keep their certifications. And so would, like, your finance director and your city clerk. … So it’s a great way to get those kind of requirements met.”
“The city pays for those so that we don’t have to send those people somewhere more expensive than just Lincoln.”
“Sometimes I think you learn more talking to the people in the hallways that are going through the same things you’re going through than you learn in the sessions.”
