Broken Arrow: data center not imminent, moratorium could be extended
The Broken Arrow City Council approved a moratorium on data center proposals in June, which expires at year-end, to study potential impacts and create zoning regulations. City Manager Michael Spurgeon stated no data center projects are imminent, and the city is still in the due diligence phase, potentially extending the moratorium. A previously proposed project has fallen through.
Broken Arrow City Manager Michael Spurgeon confirmed that data center development is not imminent in the city, despite social media rumors. The Broken Arrow City Council previously enacted a moratorium in June on new data center proposals, set to expire at the end of the year. This pause allows city officials to thoroughly investigate the potential impacts of large-scale data centers on local resources and to formulate suitable zoning regulations for future review by the Council.
A previously proposed data center project on 51 acres, which involved a letter of intent to sell property, has fallen through as the letter expired without renewal. This means no pre-development meetings with the city were ever requested. The city, prompted by the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corp., established a "Data Center Study Committee" to guide policy, focusing on various aspects including land use, utilities, and economic development.
The committee, led by Deputy City Attorney James Walters, is drafting the final ordinance for data center development. They have consulted with Oklahoma City officials, who also approved a moratorium earlier this year and are considering different classifications for data centers based on power consumption. Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) has assured Broken Arrow officials of sufficient generation capacity (7.1 gigawatts vs. 4.5 gigawatts peak demand) and confidence in accommodating data center growth without adverse customer impact. PSO also noted state requirements for dedicated substations and 100% grid connection funding for facilities needing 10-75 megawatts. Spurgeon is seeking a consultant to assist with drafting zoning codes and regulatory modifications and may recommend a 6-month extension to the current moratorium.