Data Centers

Data Centers in Green Country

What are data centers?

A building that houses an organization's critical IT infrastructure, including servers, storage systems, and networking equipment.

2 News Oklahoma is taking a deeper look at plans for data centers and community reaction.

Why is there pushback?

Data centers consume 10 to 50 times as much energy per square foot as a typical commercial office building. (Department of Energy)

A University of Michigan study highlighted concerns many communities have:

Extreme Water Consumption: Use water daily for cooling, which can deplete local water supplies and strain infrastructure.
High Energy Demand & Utility Costs: require immense power, which can overload local grids, force infrastructure upgrades, and lead to higher utility bills
Environmental & Health Risks: rely on diesel-powered backup generators that emit pollutants
Noise Pollution: Constant, loud humming from cooling systems and generators
Minimal Economic Benefit: creates few long-term jobs and often receives large tax breaks
Land Use & Disruption: takes up large amounts of land, often converting agricultural or undeveloped land into industrial zones