A trip to Washington state last year to visit the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory sparked Rep. Nick Archer to wonder….why shouldn’t Oklahoma have a similar laboratory focused on natural gas and other energy research?
It’s the story behind his HB3176 which won passage Tuesday in the House on a 51-37 vote. Archer, a Republican from Elk City, said it was not a “request bill of any type” and came about from his visit to Washington.
“I saw the innovation occurring and how a facility like that could support, frankly, the eastern desert of Washington State and the opportunities and the private sector attachment that comes with those federal research dollars, and that is where the idea sprung from,” he explained on the House floor.
The bill called for creation of the Oklahoma Gas, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Research Hub (GAS Hub), a center that would direct the State Commerce Department to administration the hub and to enter into public-private partnerships.
“So through my research, when you look at how many federal dollars were spent in research and innovation through energy over the last year, 2025, there was about $212 billion spent at the federal level in R&D in energy. When you break that down, those other sectors that you’re asking about are heavily represented in those dollars, which I think provides an opportunity for, again, our state’s largest industry,” added Rep. Archer.
He also suggested it might prevent the loss of any more major oil and gas firms from moving headquarters to Houston, such as witnessed over the coming departures of Devon Energy and Expand Energy.
“I think given the recent developments over the last few weeks where we saw two of our largest oil and gas companies remove their C-suites to another state, I think if we have an innovation anchor in the state of Oklahoma, like what we’re trying to establish here, maybe those decisions are different in the future.”
Acher faced pushback from one legislator, Rep. Aletia Timmons, D-Tulsa).
“I’m perplexed. We have no money for child care subsidies. We couldn’t fund our end of SNAP benefits, but we have $840,000 for an aspirational program that might bring money in the future, and we’ve been told we have a flat budget and $500 million that we don’t have anymore.”
When the vote was taken, a majority of Representatives approved of Archer’s bill. It will be sent to the Senate for consideration.
YEAS: 51
Archer George Lepak Roberts
Banning Gise Lowe Sneed
Bashore Grego Luttrell Staires
Boles Hall Manger Sterling
Caldwell (T) Harris Marti Stinson
Cantrell Hasenbeck May Tedford
Chapman Hill Miller Townley
Culver Johns Moore Travis
Deck Kane Newton West (J)
Dempsey Kannady Osburn West (T)
Dobrinski Kelley Pae Worthen
Duel Kerbs Patzkowsky Mr. Speaker
Fetgatter Lay Pfeiffer
NAYS: 37
Adams Hardin Norwood Timmons
Blair Hays Olsen Turner
Caldwell (C) Hildebrant Ranson Waldron
Clinton Humphrey Roe West (K)
Cornwell Jenkins Rosecrants West (R)
Crosswhite Hader Kendrix Shaw Wilk
Dollens Maynard Smith Williams
Eaves McCane Stark Wolfley
Ford Munson Steagall Woolley
Gann