Google Lincoln · Lincoln, NE

Last change recorded 2026-10-04 · Last checked 2026-10-04

OwnerGoogle

Users—

IT power, end of 2026141 MW

Planned end state283 MW

First power2026-05-12

Build-out complete2027-10-01 (est.)

Power pathGrid supply

Binding stepNo data yet

First power vs announced+5 months (announced 2025-11-30)

Full build-out vs announcedNo announced date on record

Utility / power partnersLincoln Electric System

Renewables / PPA

Latest: Build-out complete (Epoch estimate) · Full build-out complete · 2027-10-01 (plan) · recorded 2026-10-04

Lincoln Electric System said in May 2025 the Google data center was expected in service by fall 2025; Epoch records first power in May 2026. The site now accounts for about 11 % of LES retail revenue and drove 423 MW of new wind contracts. A further Google campus needing more power than all of Lincoln was proposed in March 2026. · source ◐ secondary, confidence medium

Recorded readiness — 0 of 5 applicable milestones have a dated public record

○ Land○ Permits○ Grid supply· Generation○ Water· Financing○ Construction

Gate to first power — target 2025-11-30 (announced) · path: Grid supply · each step must finish its lead time before the target

0 of 0 required steps have a public date. Red = recorded date past the rule-based deadline · grey "no public date" = required step without a record · green = on record in time · context steps never colour.

	Step	Must finish by	Others did it	Known date	Status	Basis
	Full build-out complete (context)	2026-11-28 (-12 mo before)	—	2027-10-01 plan	context	Build-out complete (Epoch estimate) · ◐

This site is energized; lights only show how its recorded steps compared with the lead times.

Lead-time assumptions

Site secured 15 months before first power — Land under control and campus announced. Rarely binding; shown for context.
Permits in hand 0 months before first power — Final air and siting permits. Operators often energize on standard or temporary authorisations and receive the major permit later; flagged only when the permit lands more than 6 months after first power or is missing for an on-site plant.
Grid supply agreed 9 months before first power — Interconnection or large-load agreement approved. Observed median 7 months before first power; the physical works (substation, lines) run in parallel with construction.
Substation and lines energized 2 months before first power — Utility delivery point live; final tests before the load is taken.
New generation online 1 months before first power — Utility plant or on-site plant generating; needed just before energization when the grid cannot carry the load alone.
Major equipment on site 6 months before first power — Turbines, transformers, switchgear delivered; installation and commissioning take the remaining months.
Construction started 24 months before first power — Groundbreaking of the building that gives first power. Observed 4-26 months for recent AI campuses; Meta's redesigned campuses took 35-58.
Building ready for IT 0 months before first power — First building ready for IT. 'Complete' or 'opened' is usually reported after first power; flagged only beyond 3 months.
Full build-out complete -12 months before first power — All announced buildings operational. Comes after first power by design; context only.
Water supply secured 12 months before first power — Water rights, municipal agreement or desalination contract in hand. Context only; one of the feasibility items.
Financing closed 12 months before first power — Project financing, anchor lease or committed capital announced. Context only; not applicable when the owner is a hyperscaler building on its balance sheet.

Dated steps (from the sources; later dates are plans)

2026-05-12 First powerFirst power (Epoch) · ◐

2027-10-01 plan Full build-out completeBuild-out complete (Epoch estimate) · ◐

Build-out timeline (Epoch AI; dated status notes with IT power; rows after today are estimates)

2023-07-01—Land clearing begins for the site

2025-10-23—Building 1 looks mostly complete: the large items like generators and substation are done. It is just missing 2 more cooling towers (4 fans). They just seem to be paving and setting up the secondary equipment so it is pr

2026-05-12141 MWBuilding 1 operational. This is based on the fact that is no more visible equipment or construction around the building, and based on previous imagery and when construction started on the last pieces of equipment (fans).

2027-10-01 est.283 MWBuilding 2 operational. Estimated based on the construction timeline for Building 1, specifically the time to operational since the roof was complete and the time to operational since the foundation work began.

Recorded fact The site is energized.

Calculated requirement Energized; watch the build-out timeline for the next buildings.

Sources (Epoch AI selection): Army corps land use application with a useful construction plan diagram, split across 7 phases · DCD article on the start of site construction · Rezoning approval, stating 75 ft building height

Epoch AI, 'AI data centers', epoch.ai/data/ai-data-centers (CC BY 4.0); coordinates from GeoNames cities500 (CC BY 4.0) and hand-entered places; overrides in tools/project_overrides.csv with their own sources. Campuses outside the Epoch dataset come from tools/campuses.csv (public reporting, source per row). Data retrieved 2026-10-05. Report a correction to contact@ailoadmap.com (campus id google-lincoln; include the row and a source link).