Oklahoma Energy Infrastructure
Data Centers Are Straining Oklahoma's Grid
36+ operating. 18+ under construction. Here's what the data shows about your electric bill.
Oklahoma Energy Infrastructure
Data Centers Are Straining Oklahoma's Grid
36+ operating. 18+ under construction. Here's what the data shows about your electric bill.
The Scale
Oklahoma's Data Center Boom
Oklahoma already has 36+ data centers operating statewide, with 18+ more under construction. Google operates facilities in Pryor with planned expansions in Stillwater and Owasso.
The power demands are staggering. PSO signed a single customer agreement for over 1,000 megawatts of power. For context, their previous largest customer contract was 130 MW. That's nearly an 8x jump in a single deal.
PSO has 11 additional contracts, each over 50 MW. The Southwest Power Pool reports 12 large-load customers in queue for Oklahoma as of January 2026.
Data centers already operating in Oklahoma
More under construction statewide
MW signed by PSO for one customer
Large-load customers in SPP queue (Jan 2026)
Your Bill
How This Hits Your Electric Bill
Infrastructure Costs Flow to You
Data centers need massive grid upgrades: new generation capacity, transmission lines and substation expansions. Utilities recover those costs through rate increases on all customers.
OG&E has already proposed a 55 cents/month surcharge starting 2026, escalating to $4.41/month by 2031. That's on top of the $126.6M rate increase approved in November 2024.
PSO has a separate $1.255 billion CWIP (Construction Work in Progress) preapproval request under OCC review. If approved, ratepayers would start paying for infrastructure before it's even built. Track every approved and pending rate case.
The Numbers Already Approved
Even before data center costs fully hit, Oklahoma has seen $246M in combined approved rate increases from OG&E ($126.6M) and PSO ($119.5M). The largest rate increases in state history.
Oklahoma electricity rates rose 12.4% year-over-year (EIA data: 11.51 to 12.94 cents/kWh, May 2024 to May 2025).
Another $597M PSO rate review is pending.
If approved, that would add approximately $25/month (16% increase). Hearings concluded February 19, 2026. Final OCC vote expected late March or April 2026.
Add to all of this: Winter Storm Uri securitization bonds ($1.4 billion for OG&E + PSO combined) are still being repaid by ratepayers and are being challenged by Oklahoma legislators at the Supreme Court.
Legislative Response
What Oklahoma Is Doing About It
HB 2992
Passed House Utilities Committee 7-0
The "Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026" would shift infrastructure costs to data centers instead of residential customers. Not yet law.
SB 1488
Sen. Sacchieri
Proposes a moratorium on new data centers over 100 MW until November 1, 2029. Would pause the growth while Oklahoma figures out the infrastructure question. Not yet law.
Behind the Meter Law
Signed May 2025, effective July 1, 2025
Allows data centers to build on-site power generation rather than relying entirely on the public grid. Could reduce some future grid pressure, but existing contracts remain.
None of these measures are retroactive. Rate increases already approved remain in effect regardless of future legislation.
What You Can Do
Lock In Your Rate Before the Next Increase
You can't control OCC rate decisions, data center contracts or legislative timelines. But you can control where your electricity comes from.
Solar panels produce electricity at a fixed cost once installed. No rate cases. No surcharges. No annual increases. Every time OG&E or PSO raises rates, the gap between what you would have paid and what you actually pay gets wider.
Cash systems typically pay for themselves in 8-12 years, then produce essentially free electricity for another 13-17 years of panel warranty. Financed systems often match or beat your current utility payment from day one.
Year cash payback
Then free electricity for 13-17 more years
Year panel warranty
Panels typically produce well beyond warranty
Rate increase exposure
Your solar cost is locked in at installation
Grid Independence
Want Backup Power Too?
Solar panels alone won't power your home during a grid outage. They shut off automatically for safety. If you want backup power during outages, you need a battery.
We install every system battery-ready. Start with solar to lock in your rate. Add a battery later if you want outage protection. No rewiring or extra install costs when you're ready.
Learn more about battery storage options.
Sources
- The Frontier: Oklahoma's data center boom is about to hit the grid
- KOSU: As electricity demand and investments grow, what's being done to shield Oklahomans?
- NonDoc: Corporation Commission advances huge PSO, OG&E rate increases
- KOSU: Oklahoma Corporation Commission approves PSO rate increase ($119.5M)
- KOSU: Oklahoma utility regulators deny OG&E's CWIP request
- KRMG: PSO seeks $597M rate increase for residential customers
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Oklahoma Electricity Profile
- Oklahoma Legislature: HB 2992 (Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act)
- KRMG: House Utilities Committee approves HB 2992
- Oklahoma Legislature: SB 1488 (Data center moratorium)
Want to Run the Numbers for Your Home?
We'll look at your current usage, your roof's solar potential and show you exactly how much you could save as rates continue climbing.
Get Your Free AnalysisCommon Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Are data centers causing my electric rates to go up?
Not directly yet, but the infrastructure to serve them is. OG&E and PSO need to build new generation capacity and upgrade transmission lines to handle massive data center loads. Those costs are recovered through rate increases on all customers. OG&E has already proposed a 55 cents/month surcharge starting 2026, escalating to $4.41/month by 2031.
How much power does a data center use?
A single large data center can consume 100 to over 1,000 megawatts of continuous power. For context, PSO's previous largest customer contract was 130 MW. They recently signed a single data center customer for over 1,000 MW, with 11 additional contracts each over 50 MW.
What is the Behind the Meter law?
Signed in May 2025 and effective July 1, 2025, this Oklahoma law allows data centers to build their own on-site power generation rather than relying entirely on the public grid. While this could reduce some grid pressure, existing data centers and those already contracted with utilities will continue drawing from the shared grid.
Will Oklahoma legislators protect ratepayers from data center costs?
Several bills are in progress. HB 2992 (the "Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026") passed the House Utilities Committee 7-0 and would shift infrastructure costs to data centers. SB 1488 proposes a moratorium on new data centers over 100 MW until November 2029. Neither is law yet.
How does solar protect me from data center-driven rate increases?
Solar panels produce electricity at a fixed cost once installed. Regardless of how much utilities raise rates to pay for data center infrastructure, your solar production cost stays the same. Every rate increase makes your solar system more valuable because the gap between utility rates and your locked-in solar cost gets wider.
What are the Winter Storm Uri bonds?
After Winter Storm Uri in 2021, OG&E and PSO securitized approximately $1.4 billion in combined storm costs through bonds that ratepayers are repaying over time. These bonds are being challenged by Oklahoma legislators at the Supreme Court as of February 2026. This is a separate cost layered on top of the rate increases and data center infrastructure charges.