Energy Production at Heart of P&Z Reviews

By Gordon Hopkins Energy production is driving the conversation as the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission reviews the county’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.That is according to John C. Shepard, AICP, Senior Community Planner for Marvin Planning Consultants, who gave an update to Jefferson County Commissioners at a meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.The current Comprehensive Plan was completed in 2001 and was last updated for a 10-year planning period, from 2013 to 2023. The county hired Marvin Planning Consultants to update the plan. Marvin Planning, headquartered in David City, is updating the county’s Comprehensive Plan.Marvin Planning created a “Land Use Categories Matrix,” which was presented to commissioners and to the Planning and Zoning Commissioner at a meeting the evening of Wednesday, September 24. Shepard emphasized the matrix is still in draft form. Nuclear EnergySome of the proposed new regulations cover small modular nuclear reactors (SMR).As of December 2023, Nebraska has a single nuclear reactor. The Cooper Nuclear Station (CNS), located on the Nebraska-Missouri border, near Brownville, first went online July 1, 1973, and operates as a single-unit electrical generator, producing approximately 835 megawatts of electricity. According to NPPD, “This would be enough power to supply more than 385,000 residential customers during the hottest summer. CNS provides Nebraskans with safe, clean and reliable electricity.”In late November 2010, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the plant’s license for 20 more years, through January 18, 2034.A reactor currently under consideration for construction in nearby Beatrice would be a very different type from CNS. SMRs are a new type of compact reactors being considered for use throughout the world.Governor Jim Pillen has indicated his support of the project. In a press conference last year, Pillen said, “I think, for the people of Nebraska, this conversation is extraordinarily important and critical at this time, because there’s tremendous opportunities for urban and rural economic development that is once in maybe seven generations time of opportunity, and we just can’t miss it.”“This is something that is evolving quickly,” said Shepard. “Where I'm seeing more that, that we're getting the manufacturers that I think we'll see here is you get a data center, maybe instead of wind or solar on site and SMR coupled to a large data center. I think we're going to see that, and they're going to want to be in more isolated places.”Shepard noted that one of the elements that makes Nebraska potentially attractive for SMR construction is the climate.“They also like to be in cold places. That's why Cheyenne, Wyoming has initially attracted so many,” said Shepard. “It gets freaking cold there most of the year, except for like, two weeks during Cheyenne Frontier Days. You know, they're going into North Dakota because it's cold most of the year, and that helps with their cooling.”Shepard added, “We're going to have some data center standards thrown into zoning too when we get to that.”According to Shepard, not all members of the Planning and Zoning Commission are enthusiastic about nuclear energy, “We have some skepticism. Planning Commission did not ask us to add more on this. Some of the stuff that gets thrown around is, maybe, not credible science, but we put in here what we feel that we can support.”Commissioner Mark Schoenrock, however, is an ardent supporter of SMRs as a way to increase Nebraska’s electricity capacity and encourage industry in the state. Solar EnergyOriginally, change to renewal energy was not being considered because the county had already gone through a lengthy process revising wind energy regulations. However, concerns were raised about solar energy facilities.A six-month moratorium on new Commercial Solar Energy Conversion Systems applications instituted earlier this year by commissioners for the purpose of reviewing and revising regulations governing solar farms in the county.When reviewing the solar regulations was added to Marvin Planning’s mission, Shepard noted, “Truthfully, it sucked all the air out of the room with the Planning Commission. They knew that was your highest priority right now, and so we kind of put things on hold to deal with that.”The renewable energy section of the plan was forwarded to commissioners for review. Battery StorageAlso added to matrix is battery storage.“Battery energy is changing pretty quickly,” said Shepard. “We're trying to make things more clear going forward, and this makes it more clear. The battery, energy storage is a discrete process, and we want to make sure that it's handled appropriately.”

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