Oklahoma Data Center Intel

Recent Oklahoma data center news

• Apr 29, 2026

  Dashboards, AI infrastructure and the States Leading Both

  Dell participated in two National Governors Association (NGA) convenings in Charleston and Philadelphia to advance statewide data dashboards for student/system success and to discuss energy infrastructure needs as AI scales.

  • Dell participated in two NGA convenings:

    • Location: Charleston, SC (NGA Policy Academy to Advance Data Dashboards Measuring Student and System Success) and Philadelphia (NGA Chair’s Initiative “Reigniting the American Dream”).
    • Date: not specified in article
    • Time: not specified in article
    • Agenda/subject: designing user-centered data dashboards that connect agencies and measure student/system success; discussing permitting reform, grid upgrades, and community engagement to support AI-driven energy demand.

  • Key follow-ups and context:

    • Technical examples and gaps: Indiana’s “Graduates Prepared to Succeed” dashboard cited as a model; teams identified measurement gaps in civic preparation and student well-being.
    • Energy and permitting focus: states are prioritizing permitting reform, grid upgrades, smarter demand mapping and energy-efficient design; the article cites a multi-year permitting example (“a project that takes seven years to permit”) as a strategic liability.
• Apr 29, 2026

  Maine Vetoes Data Center Moratorium, but Pressure Continues

  Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed legislation that would have imposed a temporary statewide moratorium on large-scale data center development.

  • Main action: The governor vetoed the moratorium bill because it failed to exempt a $550 million data center project planned for the former Androscoggin Mill site in Jay, Maine; she said she supports a temporary pause to study impacts but will instead issue an executive order to establish a council to study data center growth impacts (electricity costs, environment, local communities). Key specifics: $550 million project, >800 construction jobs, ≥100 permanent jobs, announcement dated April 24 via the governor’s letter.
  • Background and context: The article summarizes broader national dynamics: growing local and state moratoriums, industry concerns about relocation to accommodating states (e.g., Texas, Oklahoma), and a proposed federal moratorium introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; third-party data shows $18 billion halted and $46 billion delayed in projects over the past two years (Data Center Watch). The governor’s action is an announcement (veto + executive order), not a finalized moratorium.
• Apr 16, 2026

  Williams CEO: Tulsa must do more to keep companies and talent

  Williams president and CEO Chad Zamarin urged Tulsa to compete harder for companies and talent and called for critical investments in infrastructure and workforce.

  • Main announcement/action: Chad Zamarin said Tulsa must compete harder for companies and talent and warned the city and state risk losing more employers and workers unless critical investments are made; he emphasized Williams expects significant growth in the coming decade and needs a city that can grow with it. Zamarin highlighted rising demand drivers such as exports, manufacturing and data centers and said speed is critical as AI drives new power needs (“We are not going to win the race for AI if it takes six to eight years to scale up our AI infrastructure”).
  • Background and other details: Williams (founded 1908) operates roughly one-third of U.S. natural gas through its pipeline, gathering, processing and storage systems; the company is evaluating solar, hydrogen, nuclear and battery storage while prioritizing projects deployable at scale in the near term. The remarks were made at a sold-out April Friends of Finance Executive Speaker Series luncheon at The University of Tulsa; the event was the last of the 2025-26 series and the 2026-27 series will begin in September with new UTulsa President Stacy Leeds.

  Event details:

  • Date: April (sold-out April Friends of Finance Executive Speaker Series luncheon)
  • Time: null
  • Location: The University of Tulsa
  • Agenda/subject: energy infrastructure, natural gas and electricity demand, AI-driven power needs, regional development and talent attraction
• Apr 10, 2026

  As Trump throws lifeline to coal plants, critics warn of higher costs and health risks

  The Trump administration has used emergency powers to prevent scheduled coal plant retirements and to fund upgrades that keep plants operating.

  • Main action: The administration issued emergency orders to keep at least five coal plants from closing, spent $175 million on upgrades for seven plants, is considering $350 million more in applications, and officials (e.g., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum) have articulated a goal of “100 per cent stay open, no more retirements”, citing grid reliability concerns. The administration also used measures that delayed the planned retirement of the Schahfer Generating Station in Indiana and justified keeping it online for extreme weather power needs.
  • Background and details: The piece references analysis by Enverus that suggested no additional coal retirements may occur during the administration; it notes 34 GW of coal capacity was set to retire before 2029, coal plants slated to retire emitted >130 million tons CO2 last year, and that keeping the fleet afloat could cost about $1 billion annually. Legal challenges have been filed by multiple states (Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado).
• Apr 4, 2026

  Maine Set to Become First State to Halt New AI Data Centers

  Maine lawmakers have passed a bill to pause new large-scale data center projects of 20 megawatts or more until November 2027.

  • Main action: The Maine House passed legislation to pause new data center projects ≥20 megawatts (roughly enough to power 15,000–20,000 homes) until November 2027; the bill is expected to advance in the Maine Senate where Democrats hold a majority and Gov. Janet Mills has signaled support with potential exemptions for projects already in progress.
  • Context and details: The proposal was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and aims to study impacts on electricity costs, the power grid, land and water; U.S. data centers used about 183 terawatt-hours in 2024 (>4% of U.S. power use) with that figure expected to more than double by 2030. The issue has federal attention — President Donald Trump has urged tech firms to cover more infrastructure/energy costs, and Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have proposed national legislation to temporarily pause data center construction. Similar moratoria proposals are under consideration in at least 10 other states including New York, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
• Mar 30, 2026

  It’s Time to End Data Centers’ Massive Tax Break

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is urging Virginia legislators and Governor Spanberger to eliminate or phase out the $1.9 billion annual sales tax exemption for data center equipment and is mobilizing constituents to contact their representatives before the legislature reconvenes.

  • Main announcement/action: PEC asks Virginians to urge the General Assembly and Governor Spanberger to end or phase out the $1.9 billion annual sales tax break for data centers; the Senate’s budget would phase out the exemption while the House keeps it. Key dates and actions: reconvene April 23 (legislature), advocacy kick-off Zoom call March 30 at 6:30 p.m. (register link provided), and a “Send Your Email” action page to contact delegates, senators and the governor today.
  • Background and details: PEC cites Dominion Energy’s 70 GWs of load requests and ongoing monthly >1 GW requests, estimates of over $100 billion in new generation/transmission/substation infrastructure (including $30 billion for transmission and a 114-mile, 765 kilovolt proposed line), and an independent PEC analysis estimating $53–$99 million/year in health damages from on-site fossil generation at a Loudoun County facility. Also summarizes bill statuses (HB153/SB94; SB553/HB496; HB507; SB619/HB155; SB339/HB658).
• Mar 19, 2026 · Google

  A new milestone for smart, affordable electricity growth

  Google has announced it integrated 1 GW of demand response capacity into long-term energy contracts with multiple U.S. utilities.

  • Main announcement: Google has integrated a total of 1 gigawatt (GW) of demand response capacity into long-term energy contracts with multiple U.S. utilities (including Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Entergy Arkansas, Minnesota Power, and DTE Energy) to allow the company to shift or reduce ML workloads, deploy demand response quickly to bridge short-term load growth, and help new data centers connect more rapidly to local grids.
  • Background and implementation details: These contracts position demand response as a capacity resource alongside solar, geothermal and long-duration energy storage; Google cites collaboration with states, regulators and utility partners, participation in initiatives like EPRI DCFlex, and notes limits to availability by location and that demand response helps cover peak periods while longer-term generation/storage projects are developed.
• Mar 11, 2026

  General Assembly Budget Conferees Need to Invest in Quality of Life, Not Big Tech

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) has called on Virginia lawmakers to eliminate or substantially limit the sales tax credit on data center equipment to redirect revenue to public services.

  • Main action: PEC submitted a letter to General Assembly leadership and budget conferees requesting elimination or phased reduction of the sales tax exemption on data center equipment, arguing the exemption cost more than $1.9 billion in FY2025 and could have raised state revenue from $31.2 billion to $33.1 billion if collected. The letter identifies priorities for redirected revenue: water supply and wastewater treatment, transportation and transit, schools, childcare, and food security.
  • Background and details: PEC cites Dominion Energy data that it is receiving requests for ~10 additional data center applications monthly totaling 2–3 GW, bringing cumulative demand to 70 GW, while current peak demand is 24 GW with >36% electricity imports. PEC estimates Dominion will need to invest over $100 billion in generation, transmission and substation infrastructure (including nearly $30 billion for transmission) to meet the backlog over the next ten years.
• Mar 3, 2026

  Rick Payne returns to UTulsa to lead Center for Energy Studies

  The University of Tulsa has named alumnus Rick Payne director of its Center for Energy Studies.

  • Appointment and background: Rick Payne (B.S. ’84) returns to UTulsa as director after a nearly four-decade global energy career; he holds a master’s in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, worked operations on Alaska’s North Slope, held leadership roles in Venezuela and Peru with ARCO and BP, and co-founded Foundation Energy in 2005 which raised roughly $500 million across eight funds; he served as president of Foundation Renewable Energy Co. until 2024 and has maintained ties to UTulsa by hiring graduates and serving on the chemical engineering industry advisory board in the College of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS).
  • Center mandate and near-term priorities: The Center for Energy Studies will be an interdisciplinary, campus-wide energy hub focused on energy systems that are available, affordable and safe; early priorities include strengthening student engagement, partnering with energy-related student organizations, connecting engineering-driven innovation with business strategy and policy, and extending the center’s educational mission beyond campus; the center will provide data-driven insight on topics including infrastructure reliability, climate considerations, and energy demands from hyperscale data centers powering AI.
• Feb 26, 2026

  Data centers aren’t the water villains you think they are, environmentalist says

  Andy Masley argues that concerns about data center water use are overstated and that electricity demand poses the larger long-term risk.

  • Main claim and data: Masley says the widely cited 1.7 trillion gallons figure is misleading because ~80% of that water is used at power plants and returned to source, while data centers’ on-site evaporation is ~20%; he calculates data centers used about 905 million gallons in Maricopa County in 2025 and finds they generate ~50x more tax revenue per unit of water than golf courses. The article also notes Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed a surcharge of about one cent per gallon for data centers.
  • Background and policy details: Masley warns electricity capacity is the bigger issue (APS says it lacks generation/transmission capacity), cites an NRDC study estimating an average family in a 13-state region could pay about $70 extra per month by 2028 due to infrastructure expansion for data centers, and reports Microsoft and OpenAI pledged to cover their own infrastructure costs and restore more water than they use; Masley estimates AI use is about 1 milliliter per prompt.