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Committee approves bill to attract data centers, sponsors say each could employ up to 60 tech workers
Summary
The Oklahoma Senate Committee on Energy voted 9-0 to give Senate Bill 93 a do-pass recommendation. Sponsor Senator Prieto said the bill is intended to create a business-friendly environment to attract data centers and associated high-paying technology jobs.
Senator Prieto, sponsor of Senate Bill 93, told the Oklahoma Senate Committee on Energy that the bill is designed to attract data-center investment and create high-paying technology jobs.
"The goal of Senate Bill 93 is to create high paying jobs in data centers. Each data center will employ up to 60 high paying tech jobs," Senator Prieto said during the committee hearing. He said companies have expressed interest in investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Oklahoma and referenced reporting and statements indicating recent federal-level encouragement for data-center development.
The nut graf: supporters said the bill aims to make Oklahoma competitive for large capital investments by removing perceived barriers and creating a business-friendly regulatory environment that would encourage companies to build data centers in the state.
In committee discussion Senator Rader asked whether a data center operating "behind the meter" could sell power back to the grid; Prieto replied no, saying the facilities would operate in "island mode" and would not sell electricity back into the grid.
A motion for a do-pass recommendation was made by Senator McIntosh and seconded by Chairman Green. The clerk recorded a roll call with nine ayes and zero nays. The committee chair declared Senate Bill 93 to have passed the committee by a 9-0 vote.
The committee action sends SB 93 forward with a do-pass recommendation; further steps will follow according to the Senate's legislative calendar.
