Water bill amended to target data centers

Oklahoma's House Energy and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Nick Archer of Elk City, advanced an amended groundwater permitting bill, SB259, that now specifically targets data center water usage. Archer stated he pressured the bill's author to include an amendment mandating that data centers using groundwater for primary cooling must adopt low-consumptive methods such as closed-loop, dielectric cooling fluid, or air-cooled systems, explicitly banning traditional open-air evaporative cooling. The amendment also includes requirements for water meters and bases water allotments on a five-year average, with flexibility for yearly variations, to be enforced by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Rep. Newton, who expressed concerns about future water availability, particularly in western Oklahoma and the Ogallala Aquifer, explained that current water allotments are based on a mining law. Despite some legislative questions regarding mandatory water meters for agricultural operations, the committee unanimously voted 8-0 to recommend a "Do Pass" for the bill to the House, signaling significant legislative support for stricter water regulations for data centers in the state.