Data Center Consumer Protection Bill Advances in Oklahoma House Legislation designed to protect Oklahoma electricity consumers and ratepayers from the growing energy demands of large data centers and artificial intelligence facilities is moving forward in the state Legislature. A measure titled the “Data Center Customer Protection Act of 2026” recently cleared two House committees and …
Tag: Oklahoma Legislature
Tax breaks for data centers are ending around the U.S.
Oklahoma Ahead of Growing Pushback on Data Center Tax Breaks Five years after the Oklahoma legislature approved a measure to keep data centers from qualifying for tax breaks, the movement is growing across the U.S. Several legislatures are considering legislation to slow down or restrict data center development by repealing tax exemptions. Some, such as …
House bill adds felony penalties for foreign land buys
Legislator wants to get tough on foreign owners of Oklahoma land Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, secured committee passage of a bill that would add criminal penalties to Oklahoma’s existing prohibitions on hostile foreign ownership of land. The measure, House Bill 1453, builds on current Oklahoma statutes that restrict certain foreign ownership of property but, according …
Oklahoma AI deepfake bill advances in House committee
Artificial Intelligence and data centers seemingly go hand-in-hand when it comes to conversation in Oklahoma where data centers are targeted by several bills before the legislature. While House Bill 3299, authored by Rep. Neil Hays, R-Checotah, doesn’t fall into the category of data centers, it focuses on artificial intelligence. The bill was written to protect …
Devon and Expand relocations fuel Oklahoma tax debate
Was tax issue at the center of relocations by the two oil and gas firms? When Devon Energy recently announced the relocation of its headquarters from Oklahoma City to Houston, Texas, one observer noted Texas had no state income tax. Oklahoma does. Now that Expand Energy followed a week later with a similar announcement but …
Transparency bill wins approval in Senate Committee
Oklahoma Senate Panel Advances Bill Targeting NDAs like those used in data center projects Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, has won approval from the Senate’s Retirement and Government Resources Committee for legislation focusing on nondisclosure agreements (NDA) between state employees and the agencies that employ them. Brooks said Senate Bill 1415 deals specifically with resignations …
Oklahoma Bills Target Large Electrical Loads
(Image art by Kevin Clark via ChatGPT.) Oklahoma Lawmakers Target ‘Large Load’ Power Demand The issue of large electrical loads has not only been a topic of discussion by Oklahoma regulators, but it is also the focus of several bills filed in the Oklahoma Legislature. As previously reported, a bill by Tulsa Rep. Amanda Clinton …
Oklahoma Bill Targets Climate Lawsuits Against Oil Companies
Oklahoma Bill Seeks to Shield Oil and Gas Firms From Climate Lawsuits A bill filed ahead of the Oklahoma Legislature’s 2026 session aims to significantly limit civil lawsuits against oil and gas companies, particularly those alleging responsibility for climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Security and Independence Act Introduced Senate Bill 1439, filed by …
Rep. Hardin Questions AG Role After Poultry Lawsuit Ruling
Court Denies Stay in Illinois River Watershed Case Eastern Oklahoma Rep. David Hardin expressed disappointment this week after a federal court denied a stay request tied to the long-running Illinois River Watershed poultry lawsuit, a decision that could significantly impact Oklahoma poultry farmers and regional agricultural operations. Hardin, R-Stilwell, reacted after a federal judge refused …
Archer pushes GAS Hub to land national lab in Oklahoma
Legislation Targets Federal Research Investment Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, has introduced legislation aimed at positioning Oklahoma to compete for a U.S. national laboratory and other major federal research centers, an effort supporters say could reshape the state’s long-term economic and workforce outlook. If approved, House Bill 3176 would establish the Oklahoma Gas, Artificial Intelligence, …