Air Force moves to lease land
The U.S. Air Force is joining the race to build artificial intelligence data centers. The service plans to lease thousands of acres at five air bases to private firms.
Oklahoma is not in the first wave. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Vance Air Force Base in Enid, and the Air National Guard base in Tulsa are not on the list. The first sites sit in Tennessee, Arizona, California, New Jersey, and Georgia.
The Air Force issued an online solicitation this week. The request asks developers to propose projects on what the service calls “underutilized” land. The land sits at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, Edwards Air Force Base in California, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. Breaking Defense first reported the solicitation.
Robert Moriarty, the Air Force’s deputy assistant secretary for installations, said the service needs these new sites.
“AI is transforming the modern world, and these data centers are crucial for America to remain at the forefront of innovation,” Moriarty said in a statement provided to Defense News.
White House orders drive the plan
President Donald Trump signed executive orders in January and July to speed up the nation’s use of AI. Those orders call for rapid construction of the large data centers that AI requires. They also direct federal agencies to move faster on AI adoption.
The July order tells the Department of Defense to identify base locations that can host AI data center infrastructure. It also directs the services to lease that land to private companies through open competition.
The Air Force solicitation answers that order. The service wants private firms to design, finance, build, and run AI data centers under long-term ground leases. The Air Force describes the land as available for lease and says the property is underused.
What this means for Oklahoma
Oklahoma leaders continue to chase energy-hungry data campuses. The state pitches reliable power supply, pipeline and refinery networks, and a workforce with military training. Tinker Air Force Base anchors defense logistics in Oklahoma City. Vance Air Force Base trains pilots in Enid. The Tulsa Air Guard base supports air defense, logistics, and maintenance. Each site controls land and sits near power and fiber.
That mix lines up with what AI data centers want: megawatts of nonstop electricity, high-bandwidth fiber, and cooling water. Large AI campuses also demand new generation, new transmission, and steady construction talent. That demand fits Oklahoma’s energy economy.
An Air Force official made one point clear. “This is an opportunity for outside organizations.” The official gave that answer when asked if the centers would serve Air Force or military AI projects, or projects run by outside groups. The answer signals that private AI companies, not just defense teams, can build inside the fence line.
Oklahoma officials and Oklahoma energy companies will track that shift. Private AI campuses mean huge power demand, cooling demand, and infrastructure contracts. Constant AI load could drive new natural gas generation, renewable projects, and transmission upgrades in Oklahoma. If Oklahoma lands on a future Air Force list, that move could bring high wage technical jobs and long-term utility investment to the state.
The Air Force wants AI capacity fast. Oklahoma wants growth in advanced industry. The open question is timing. When will the map of approved bases expand to include Oklahoma?
SOURCE: Air Force Times —
Rewritten by Oklahoma Energy Today for clarity
