Energy Vampire 🧛

The Lincoln Ledger: September 27th, 2024

September 27, 2024

Happy Friday Ledgers,

We start today with a question, is Nebraska the next big thing in tropical fruit production? 🥭

While this lovely state may be known for its hot summers and harsh winters, in southeast Nebraska, the pawpaw, an oblong tropical fruit with a vanilla and caramel taste, is having its moment in the sun.

In this week’s issue:

  • Blackout: $600M Google data center may come with increased electrical rates.

  • What To Do: Not another football weekend.

  • Sportz: Eye black, its makeup for sports.

  • Neighborhood Watch: Hallmark movie material.

It turns out that the pink postcard might have made it worse. LPS, take notice. Investing in a calming sage-colored stationary option may be wise next year. 😤🎟️

- Landon

Last Week’s Poll Results:
Does the pink postcard’s color help or hurt the pain of a tax increase?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟤 It hurts: The pink makes me even more mad (85.70%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🩷 It helps: The pink makes me feel cool, calm, and collected. In fact, i'm so calm that you can tax me even more. (14.30%)

BLACKOUT

Google’s $600M data center in Lincoln: A boon or a burden? 🏗️

Google is making waves in Lincoln by developing a $600 million data center near I-80 and 56th Street. Announced last fall, the project is expected to bring new jobs both during construction and after the center is operational. However, some local business owners are concerned about what this new addition might mean for their bottom line.

What's the concern?… Some Lincoln business owners worry that Google, drawn to the area by its low electricity rates, could soak up a significant amount of power, increasing energy costs for the rest of the city. Some point to Omaha as an example, where a rise in power costs reportedly followed Google’s arrival.

LES’s response… Lincoln Electric System (LES) representatives, however, are confident that the city can handle the increased energy load from a data center of this size. They’ve assured the public that Lincoln is part of a larger power pool and is prepared to support the additional demand without causing a spike in electricity rates.

So…do data centers lead to higher electricity rates?
Here are a few data points for consideration.

📌 Why It Matters
Google’s data center could bring jobs and tax revenue to Lincoln, but concerns over rising electricity costs have sparked debate. Balancing economic growth with the potential for higher energy demands will be crucial as Lincoln navigates this major development and its impact on the community.

Are new jobs and the arrival of large tech companies like Google, worth the potential of higher electricity rates?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

WHAT TO DO

Chevy Chase Dancing GIF

Giphy

Not another football weekend. 👏

With no home football game this weekend, the rest of the city has packed the calendar.

🎭 Showtime Surprise
Tonight, it's all about snagging last-minute tickets to one of the many shows happening across town. Here are a few options:

🍻 Oktoberfest at Bierhaus
On Saturday, you’ll head to Bierhaus Maisschäler for what has seemingly become the go-to annual Oktoberfest celebration in Lincoln. Break out your lederhosen (or dirndls if that’s more your vibe) and head down to the festival around 11:00 AM.

Consider grabbing a quick breakfast from the Haymarket Farmer's Market to elevate your spirits before dragging them down with 10,000 ounces of beer. We recommend the traditional German cuisine of champions: breakfast burritos, or Filipino eggrolls. 🤤

🏐 Sunday is for the Girls (Volleyball)
NFL, stand aside. This Sunday, we’ll take on a new TV tradition and watch the pride of Nebraska — the Husker Volleyball Team. After several huge wins over top-ranked opponents, the Huskers look to extend the trend against #20 USC at home. The game starts at 6:30 PM.

SPORTZ

Sporting headlines from around the capital.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Hallmark movie material. 📺

Straight out of the cozy streets of your favorite Hallmark movie—or perhaps the same idyllic town where the Gilmore Girls call home—comes 10000 Wagon Train Road in Hickman. Maybe it’s the allergy meds talking, but this might just be the perfect home for anyone looking to trade the corporate grind for crisp autumn mornings, warm apple cider, and the dream of creating the next great American pumpkin patch. Think Vala’s or Roca Berry Farms, but better—and it’s all yours.

With everything this property has to offer, it’s practically begging to be the setting for your grand fall vision.

Let’s start with the insanely large barn—we’re talking “could’ve once stored 300 classic cars” kind of big. This will be your pumpkin patch HQ, and maybe even your ticketing office. Next, there’s the lake, which feels like the ideal spot to set up a mini train for kids to ride around your grounds. And then there’s the house itself—meticulously maintained, spacious, and ready to host your family (or your guests, if you decide this dreamscape should double as a bed and breakfast).

And look, if you decide not to turn this property into the ultimate fall destination (although, let’s be real—you should), it still makes for a picture-perfect forever home where you can live out your own Hallmark-worthy life.

The Details:

  • 7 beds, 5 baths

  • 5,474 sq/ft

  • Originally built in the 90’s, with an addition added in 2011

❤️ KEEP: *Takes a deep breath before sharing all the things we love* The elegant, classic exterior that feels like a postcard; the massive barn that we’re already dreaming of filling with pumpkins, hayrides, and fall decor; the spare bedroom with the cutest ladder leading to a reading loft (seriously, it’s adorable); the spacious walk-in closet, the luxurious clawfoot tub, and the sunroom, which is destined to be your year-round hangout spot.

🗑️ TOSS: The kitchen island light fixtures, which are giving mid-century modern vibes that don’t quite fit with the home’s overall classic charm, and maybe swap out the tile on the fireplace in the primary bedroom for something a bit more timeless.

CHECKLIST

An over-ambitious weekend to-do list.

  • Confirm what you are wearing for Halloween.

  • Restock on kitty litter (fluffy is smelling a little rancid these days) 😷.

  • Descale your shower glass door (CLR will do the trick, here).

  • Purchase an obligatory jar of apple butter for fall.

  • Confirm who is hosting Thanksgiving this year.

HEADLINES

More news from around the capital.

🐯 Weekly Wildcard:
One headline (or post) we never saw coming.

ABOUT TLL

We created this sliver of the internet to make it easy for no-coasters to keep tabs on what’s happening in Lincoln and to give you new ideas on how to spend your time.