Last month, the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, & Environment (DWEE) highlighted recent agency accomplishments at a Cabinet Meeting of Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen. Key milestones include the establishment of DWEE in July 2025, merging the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and Department of Energy & Environment to better focus on water management and improve permitting efficiency.
In June 2025, Governor Pillen established the Water Quality & Quantity Task Force, which produced a full report in March 2026 of 14 goals for DWEE to prioritize in improving water quality and quantity in Nebraska. DWEE’s ONE RED program supports these action items with $307M in U.S. EPA grant funding.
In 2023, the Legislature provided $628M for the Perkins County Canal, a critical water infrastructure investment to support Nebraska’s water supply. Sixty percent of funds are now designated for the project, and the canal is on track to be operational by the end of 2032.
