Legislator offers more about her 3-year data center construction pause plan
The State Senator who filed legislation to create a moratorium on the construction of any more data centers for the next three years in Oklahoma is offering more details of her idea.
Sen. Kendal Sacchieri (R-Blanchard) introduced Senate Bill 1488, one of dozens of energy bills filed for the approaching Oklahoma legislative session. Her measure would create a moratorium or hold on the construction of new data centers in the state until Nov. 1, 2029. It would also direct the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to study the long-term effects the large scale data centers might have on state infrastructure and resources.
“The goal is not to halt progress,” Sen. Sacchieri added, “but to ensure that progress does not come at the expense of Oklahomans’ quality of life or their utility costs. We owe it to our communities to understand what we don’t yet know before we make irreversible decisions about where and how these facilities are built.”
The three-year pause in data center construction would give the Corporation Commission time to conduct a comprehensive review of key concerns, including water supply impacts, utility rate pressures, property value effects, and optimal siting practices. The bill requires the Commission to submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislature to inform future policy decisions.
“As data centers continue to grow rapidly across Oklahoma, we are confronting serious unknowns about how these large facilities affect our communities, our utilities, and our natural resources,” Sen. Sacchieri said. “This bill stems from those unknowns, and there are real, serious concerns around what these data centers will bring to our state negatively. We must be sincere in addressing these unknowns and finding the best solutions for the erection of these very large facilities. There may be better solutions out there than what we are currently doing — which is allowing data centers to be sited anywhere and everywhere without thinking through the long-term effects and repercussions.”
By pausing further development, the state can gain empirical evidence on how large-scale data centers interact with Oklahoma’s infrastructure and environment, and tailor regulations that protect residents and ratepayers without undermining economic prospects.
SB 1488 has been filed for consideration during the Second Regular Session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature and awaits committee referral.