Oklahoma is among at least 11 states across the country where either restrictions or outright bans of data centers are proposed in bills before their legislatures. It would appear the state is close to adopting certain restrictions on data centers.
A report by Axios indicates that of the 11 states, Maine is the best bet to become the first state to adopt an outright ban of data centers. A bill pausing development until Nov. 2027 is expected to clear the state Senate and be signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D), who is also running for U.S. Senate, reported the news website.
Oklahoma legislators were greeted with several data center bills at the start of the current session but only one remains, HB2992 by Rep. Brad Boles and later supported by Tulsa Democrat Amanda Clinton. It is known as the Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act.
The bill by the Marlow Republican, who is now a candidate for Oklahoma Corporation Commission, won large support in the state House where it was approved on a 92-2 vote. It awaits a final vote in the Senate but must go before the Senate Energy Committee before it gets a vote. In the past two weeks, eleven other legislators signed on as co-sponsors of the Boles bill.
As defined in the bill, “Any applicable governing body responsible for reviewing electric supplier rates shall ensure that residential, commercial and industrial customers are protected from paying unjust rates resulting directly from service to large load customers. The applicable governing body shall ensure that all rates are fair, just and reasonable and costs and revenues are assigned and allocated among customers in accordance with cost causation principles.”
The bill would have the Corporation Commission draw up the rules to implement the Act and Rep. Boles didn’t want any delay in enforcement, should it be approved and signed into law. The act is to become effective July 1, 2026.
Data centers are political issues
The Oklahoma bill is reflective of what occurred in other states where data centers, as Axios put it, have” become a boxy, hulking flashpoint heading into the midterms — and the backlash is spreading fast across red and blue states.”
Here’s how Axios assessed the anti-data center movement, noting of course, it is a big political issue in the coming elections.
Why it matters: With no federal action, states are fielding constituent anger over power grids, water supplies and strained local infrastructure. But investment keeps accelerating; Wall Street isn’t slowing down, and neither is Washington’s appetite for AI dominance.
- Another dozen states have seen local pushback or enacted restrictions tackling environmental concerns, consumer data or energy bills.
- Last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill to pause data center construction nationwide — an instant political lightning rod.
The big picture: Politicians are positioning themselves carefully on data centers ahead of the midterms, and their stances are often a direct response to local voter angst.
Money quote: “Maine is the canary in the coal mine,” Anirban Basu, chief economist for trade group Associated Builders and Contractors, told the Wall Street Journal. “Maine will be the first of many states to have such moratoria.”
Axios concluded, “The bottom line: This isn’t a red or blue state problem. It’s a tangible, physical manifestation of how AI is changing and dividing the country.”