Beale Infrastructure Confirms Coweta Data Center “Project Atlas”

Oklahoma’s next data center will be built in Coweta, where the city recently sold 200 acres of land to data center developer Beale Infrastructure.

While there was public speculation last week over the sale of the city-owned land, confirmation of the intentions of Beale Infrastructure came this week from the Broken Arrow Sentinel.

Beale Confirms Project Atlas Plans

The paper reported Beale confirmed its plans for a data center to be known as “Project Atlas” and that the company was studying the possibility of using water from the Verdigris and Arkansas rivers.

The heavy demand by data centers for water is often cited by opponents of data centers and was the subject of a recent legislative interim study hearing at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Project Atlas, as the company named the project, will—according to the newspaper account—be powered through Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO).

In recent weeks during Oklahoma Corporation Commission meetings, PSO had indicated it was in discussion with a major client regarding the supply of more electrical power.

The utility did not disclose the identity of the firm but explained it was another reason for a request to increase rates.

Beale Infrastructure Outlines Development Details

A Beale spokesman laid out the plans to the Broken Arrow Sentinel and discussed water-use plans, noise abatement, and tax incentives.

“For data center companies, they provide a way to fairly evaluate the taxable value of the property. Even with these agreements, it is estimated that the project will become one of the top 5 largest taxpayers in the area, and at full buildout could be the largest,” stated the company spokesman, reported the Sentinel.

Opposition Builds in Coweta

Opposition already exists in Coweta, where Kathy Foster started a Change.org petition drive to stop the data center from being built, with 203 signatures gathered so far.

She told the newspaper she is “deeply worried about the development’s impact on lives.”

“Despite promises of economic benefits, the reality is that data centers come with a high environmental cost. One of my biggest concerns is the water usage for cooling these massive infrastructures. Coweta already struggles with water supply issues, and further strain could severely affect our community’s future access to clean water,” Foster says.

Beale’s Broader Expansion in Oklahoma

Beale Infrastructure bought the land, as OK Energy Today reported last week, and immediately there was talk that acquisition of the nearly 300 acres would result in a new data center.

Data Center Dynamics reported that “Blue Owl-backed Beale Infrastructure” will build a new data center campus in Oklahoma and Arizona.

The Arizona site is outside the city of Tucson, while the publication indicated Beale planned development of two sites outside Tulsa in Oklahoma.

DCD explained that Beale Infrastructure is a data center developer backed by alternative investment asset company Blue Owl.

Beale Targets Multiple Sites

Beale targets land in Oklahoma, according to Google Maps.

The headline in Data Center Dynamics was a bold declaration: “Beale comes to Oklahoma.”

Beale Infrastructure is also known to be planning a development outside Kansas City in De Soto, Kansas.

On its website, the firm notes planned development in Tulsa, Oklahoma.