Ratepayer protection bill to Senate

The proposed Data Center Customer Protection Act of 2026 is advancing in the Oklahoma legislature, having received unanimous approval from the Senate Energy Committee and is now headed for a vote by the full Oklahoma Senate. Originally proposed by Representative Brad Boles of Marlow and supported by Senator Grant Green of Wellston, the bipartisan measure seeks to protect Oklahoma consumers and utility ratepayers from covering the electrical power infrastructure costs associated with new data centers. Senator Green explained that House Bill 2992 mandates that large-load data centers and crypto mining facilities bear their own portion of infrastructure costs stemming from their significant electricity demands. He emphasized that if these operations strain the power grid and necessitate new infrastructure, they must fund it themselves, preventing costs from being passed on to residential, industrial, agriculture, and commercial ratepayers through higher utility rates. The bill allows data centers to either operate "behind the meter" or pay for their infrastructure. This bill, currently the only data center-related legislation remaining in this year's session, has garnered support from numerous senators and representatives. It was prompted by growing concerns among ratepayers and consumers regarding the financial impact of large-load data centers on the state's utilities, particularly as utilities like Public Service Company of Oklahoma seek commission approval to expand power operations and pass costs to consumers.