Sen. James Lankford Discusses Data Centers, Energy Costs and Federal Permitting in Tulsa
U.S. Sen. James Lankford discussed data center growth, rising electricity demand and federal permitting reform with Tulsa business leaders and elected officials. He said local communities should have a voice in data center siting and argued that residential ratepayers should not bear the infrastructure costs associated with new facilities.
U.S. Sen. James Lankford addressed data center development, energy costs and federal permitting during the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Congressional Forum. He said communities should help determine where data centers are built and whether local infrastructure can support them, citing Google’s facility at MidAmerica Industrial Park as an example of an appropriately located project.
Lankford also discussed federal legislation intended to prevent residential electricity customers from absorbing the cost of infrastructure needed for new data centers. The measure passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support but has not advanced in the Senate, and Lankford said lawmakers may revisit it after the midterm elections. He separately promoted permitting changes that would allow reviews of major industrial projects to proceed concurrently, though the potential effect on the proposed Inola aluminum smelter remains unclear.