Why I Changed My Stance on Data Centers: Putting Oklahoma Citizens First

When the topic of data centers first came to me as an idea from some entreprenuers, I saw an opportunity for Oklahoma. Working alongside state leaders, including those focused on economic development, the vision was straightforward: place a limited number of  data centers in rural areas of our state where they could create jobs, attract investment, and increase ad valorem tax revenue for counties that often struggle to fund essential services.

The concept also included powering these facilities through "behind-the-meter" energy solutions. In other words, rather than placing additional demand on Oklahoma's electrical grid, these data centers would utilize dedicated power generation. President Trump and others have discussed Oklahoma's potential in this area because our state is blessed with abundant natural gas resources. By converting that natural gas into electricity on-site, data centers could operate without burdening existing residential and commercial customers.

At first glance, this seemed like a win-win situation for Oklahoma.

Why I Started to Dislike Data Centers

As the discussion evolved, so did the proposals. What began as a limited economic development opportunity quickly expanded. Suddenly, more than 60 data center projects were being discussed for Green Country alone. That caused many Oklahomans to ask legitimate questions about long-term impacts on our communities, infrastructure, water resources, property rights, and quality of life.

As your Senator, my responsibility is not to decide what is best for Oklahoma from an office at the Capitol. My responsibility is to represent the people who elected me.

When citizens began expressing concerns, I listened.

I spoke with constituents, researched the issue, and reviewed information from experts on both sides of the debate. The more I learned, the more I understood why many Oklahomans were worried about the rapid expansion of these projects without sufficient safeguards in place.

That is why Representative Clay Staires and I worked on legislation that would have established stronger standards and protections for future data center developments. Our bill sought to ensure that if data centers came to Oklahoma, they would do so responsibly, with clear requirements designed to protect communities while still allowing economic growth.

Unfortunately, our legislation was never given a hearing. Instead, legislative leadership advanced a much weaker version of the proposal.

While the final bill did not include many of the protections we believed were necessary, I voted in favor of it because some safeguards are better than none. Oklahoma citizens deserved at least a first step toward addressing the concerns surrounding these developments.

My position remains simple:

I support responsible economic development. I support attracting investment and jobs to Oklahoma. I support utilizing our abundant natural resources in a way that benefits our citizens.

But I also believe economic growth must be balanced with property rights, local control, infrastructure capacity, and the wishes of the people who live in the affected communities.

Government exists to serve the people—not the other way around.

If Oklahomans want data centers developed responsibly and with proper protections, I will fight for those protections. If citizens have concerns, I will listen. My duty is not to special interests, lobbyists, or corporations. My duty is to the hardworking men and women of Oklahoma.

That is what representative government is all about. I work for We the People.