By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma ratepayer’s energy bills won’t go up because of the energy consumption of data centers under a bill signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
House Bill 2992 requires new data centers to pay for their own infrastructure and the energy they consume. It also requires developers to notify nearby landowners and local officials when acquiring land for such projects. Failure to notify them within 60 days of purchasing land would result in a $1,500 daily fine.
The “Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act” applies to any new data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and facilities that function for artificial intelligence computing that consume 75 megawatts of power or more.
Stitt said Oklahoma welcomes data centers to grow in Oklahoma “the right way.”
“This bill makes it clear that when you plug into Oklahoma’s world‑class energy grid, you come to the table as a partner and do your part to cover the costs,” he said in a statement.
The law will take effect July 1.
Large-load customers would be required to sign contracts to pay for their infrastructure costs over 10 years.
“I am proud that Oklahomans will not be forced to subsidize the infrastructure needs of massive data centers and other large-scale energy users while still allowing our state to grow responsibly,” bill author Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, said in a statement.
There are at least 30 data centers in Oklahoma that are currently operating, planned or under construction, according to reporting by News9.
Senate author Grant Green, R-Wellston, said he has serious concerns as a farmer and rancher about the impacts the growing number of data centers could have on rural Oklahoma.
“One of my biggest fears is that thousands of acres of prime farmland could be ruined by massive warehouses and industrial sites that drain all the local resources,” Green said in a statement. “I don’t want to see that happen here in Oklahoma.”
