Hyperscale data centers; Oklahoma Hyperscale Data Center Directory Act; Oklahoma Corporation Commission; directory; electrical utilities; water providers; effective date.
Summary
HB3394 creates the Oklahoma Hyperscale Data Center Directory Act and directs the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) to build and maintain a public directory of hyperscale data centers operating in Oklahoma. The bill defines a hyperscale data center as a large-scale facility primarily used for information technology operations that meets specified size and electricity-use thresholds, including cloud computing and massive server clusters. The directory must include each facility’s company name, location information, annual electric usage, peak electrical load, annual water usage, and water source.
The bill also requires electric utilities and water providers serving hyperscale data centers to file annual reports with the OCC by April 1 each year covering the prior calendar year’s electricity and water use. If the OCC identifies discrepancies, it may request verification from the facility itself. The OCC is authorized to adopt rules to implement the act and to enforce reporting requirements, including administrative penalties for noncompliance or false filings. The act is set to take effect November 1, 2026.
Impact
HB3394 would add a new regulatory and reporting framework in Title 17 of the Oklahoma Statutes focused on hyperscale data centers. It would require utilities and water providers to collect and disclose operational resource-use data to the OCC, while also creating a publicly accessible state directory of qualifying facilities. The bill gives the OCC rulemaking and enforcement authority and allows it to protect proprietary and critical infrastructure information, including sensitive address data when security concerns are shown.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available legislative context, the measure appears informational and regulatory rather than controversial in the record provided. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes included, and the bill was referred to the Energy committee, suggesting it was being considered as part of energy and infrastructure oversight. The overall tone of the proposal is administrative and transparency-oriented, with an emphasis on tracking utility impacts from large data centers.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are privacy, security, and compliance burden. The bill requires disclosure of facility-level information, including location and resource usage, which may concern data center operators and utilities that view such information as proprietary or sensitive critical infrastructure data. At the same time, the bill explicitly allows the OCC to withhold certain information from public release when required by law or when security concerns are demonstrated. Another possible point of debate is the reporting burden placed on electric utilities and water providers, as well as the OCC’s authority to impose penalties for noncompliance.
In restructuring of electric utility industry, further providing for declaration of policy, for standards for restructuring of electric industry and for duties of electric distribution companies.