Data centers in Oklahoma

Charlie Scott, retired wildlife biologist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expressed concern about data center placement near residential areas due to traffic, construction, noise and light impacts

Barbara Coleman, Tulsa resident, expressed concern that households might be charged for electricity used by data centers

Henry Cubillan of Kelvion described closed loop cooling system in which liquid absorbs heat, carries it outside to be cooled and then returns through the system, requiring initial fill of treated water mixed with glycol to prevent freezing

In contrast, Democrat Cyndi Munson said that if elected, she would issue a moratorium on construction of new data centers on her first day in office.

Munson also said that, if elected, she would ensure the costs associated with data centers are not passed onto Oklahomans.

"On day one, I will sign an executive order putting a moratorium on new data center projects"

New data centers are air cooled and have closed loop systems, opposed to older data center versions that used open loop water systems.

U.S. Senate candidate N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas says her first piece of legislation, if elected this November, would be a moratorium on data centers.

NRECA represents more than 900 not for profit, consumer owned electric cooperatives

A data center can bring 800 megawatts in demand, which can be triple what all other consumers in a rural electric cooperative consume

Rural cooperatives should focus on local decision making rather than blanket policies about data centers, with consideration for local water supplies, county tax impacts, and community infrastructure

Permitting delays represent a major hurdle for building necessary electric assets to serve data centers

City Manager Michael Spurgeon said rumors of a foregone data center project are incorrect and the administration has not reached conclusions.

Oklahoma Water Resources Board director stated data centers purchasing from utilities do not need permits and water use is largely untracked

OSU Extension Office provided information and expert commentary on Oklahoma's data center debate

Chad Dillingham stated no contracts have been signed yet for the data center or power generation plant

Oklahoma State University analysis states: Data centers are specialized facilities that house servers, storage systems and networking equipment used to support cloud services and digital applications. They enable the storage, processing, and transfer of vast amounts of data, making modern digital services possible.

Don Raleigh, former superintendent at Pryor School District, said data center investment from Google brought major expansion and multiple iterations of continued expansion that continue today, and contributed to the park to becoming a fruition, was a benefit for community and school district, helped CareerTech and capital government, and enabled school district improvements across the whole distri

Jason Singer, co managing member of Plainsmen Holdings, said the project addresses common concerns about data center power and water use

Mike Cooper, Vance Development Authority executive director, said military is looking for ways to keep critical operations running if public grid goes down

"We recognize the level of public interest surrounding this project and the importance of clearly communicating what has been finalized and what comes next. The agreements now in place establish substantial financial commitments, including payments to local public entities, infrastructure funding, community investment and financial protections for the City."

City Manager Michael Spurgeon said there were no data center applications pending when the moratorium was approved

Citizen led petitions pushing back against data centers in the area

City commissioners said the moratorium will give officials time to study potential data center developments and update regulations

Resident Charles Scott stated the community does not want data centers during city council comment period

"data centers coming to Oklahoma should be in a locally approved industrial space"

"data centers are welcomed in the state as long as they aren't owned by Muslim monarchies"

Community members opposed data center development in Pittsburg County.

"We are excited to welcome Google to Muskogee County as they begin work on building two data center campuses, which will be transformational for our community. I'm grateful for the collaboration of local partners to make this opportunity a reality and look forward to the positive effects it will have on our community today and in the future."

"This project represents a major investment in our community, solidifying our position as a regional tech hub. Google is not only bringing strong economic development to our area, but their commitment to responsible resource use aligns with our water and energy stewardship goals, ensuring long-term sustainability."

"We're proud to expand our data center presence in Oklahoma to support our cloud and AI infrastructure. The Muskogee area is a great place for us to grow. With a skilled workforce and enthusiastic local partners, including the Port of Muskogee, we are pleased to invest here not only with the data centers, but through meaningful impact in the broader community."