Data center conditional use permit to be discussed at Kearney Planning Commission meeting. Brian Neben Aug 18, 2026 | 2:33 PM KEARNEY - A conditional use permit for a data center to be located east of Kearney will be discussed during the upcoming Kearney Planning Commission meeting on Friday, Aug. 21. Worldwide Mission Critical is seeking approval for a conditional use permit (CUP) for a data center, the location would be east of Antelope Ave. and south of Tech One Blvd and Global Drive. The proposed location for the data center is surrounded by an office and vacant land to the north, an existing data center - Cryptocurrency mining and solar farm to the south, according to the City of Kearney memo. The area is zoned as Business Park district; data centers are allowed within the district with an approved CUP. Per current data center regulations, the facilities total electrical demand will be 368 megawatts. The site already has an existing 100 megawatts. of capacity that will be repurposed, from the cryptocurrency operation, to support the first phase. A Sound Study was provided to indicate that the proposed Data Center Phase one and two will meet the maximum sound levels of a day-night average sound level of 55 dBA at the property lines. The memo states that as phase three includes a building expansion, another sound study may be required upon the start of the phase to validate the buildout and any potential sound emitting equipment meets regulations. "The study indicates that the facility will not produce excessive low-frequency sound or a prominent discrete tone," the city memo states. "A Water and Wastewater Feasibility Study has been provided to demonstrate compliance with code and inform the City of water usage, discharge characteristics, and details regarding the cooling systems," per the memo. The proposed Data Center will use closed-loop chilled water systems that require a one-time fill; the water is then contained and reused. "In Phase 1, a total of 455,600 gallons per year is projected, with 44.9% for domestic use, 43.3% for humidity control, and 11.9% for cooling," per the city memo. The second phase of development will use 911,200 gallons of water per year. This water usage will be the majority water used at an estimated 2,240,073 gallons per year. The data center CUP shows three phases of development. "The first phase of the project will be located on the northern portion of the property and consist of an office building, data center building, and enclosed equipment yards to the north and south of the data center building," per the City of Kearney memo. Following completion of phase one, the existing Cryptocurrency mining facility will be decommissioned, per the memo. "Future phases will include an additional building with enclosed equipment yards located on the southern portion of the land. The third phase of development will be an eastward extension of the two buildings onto the existing Cryptocurrency mining property, which was initially built in 2017," per the city memo. The city staff will recommend approval of the CUP for the data center with several conditions. The first being that any changes to the applicant or property ownership must be submitted to the City within 30 days; an inventory of chemical, batter or hazardous materials and their specific locations on site; the applicant will hold the city harmless in case of injury, loss, claims or damages; the applicant will conform with city regulations and the permit will be void if abandoned or no development has occurred for two years after the effective date. The Kearney Planning Commission will meet at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 21 in the council chambers at City Hall.

Worldwide Mission Critical named one of Washingtonian's 2025 Great Places to Work.