Powering Data Centers. Strengthening Oil & Gas. Protecting Our Water. Lowering the Cost of Living.
Oklahoma is an energy state.
For generations, our oil and natural gas industry has powered communities, created jobs, supported schools and helped build our economy. Now Oklahoma stands at the beginning of another major economic transformation as artificial intelligence, advanced computing and data centers create enormous new demands for electricity, water and infrastructure.
We have a choice.
We can follow the traditional political model—give large corporations tax incentives to build massive energy projects, place additional demands on our electric grid and water resources, and then ask Oklahoma families to help pay for the infrastructure.
Or we can build an Oklahoma model.
The People’s Oklahoma Energy Partnership will bring together Oklahoma families, farmers, electric cooperatives, the oil and gas industry, private financiers and the technology industry to create an energy economy in which the people of Oklahoma participate in the prosperity they help create.
Our goal is simple:
Oklahoma should produce the energy. Oklahoma should develop the resources. Oklahoma should protect the water. And Oklahoma’s people should share in the benefits.
1. Turn Oklahoma Homes, Farms and Businesses Into Energy Producers
Instead of concentrating public incentives almost exclusively on large corporate energy developments, Oklahoma should begin helping its own people participate in energy production.
We will work with Oklahoma electric cooperatives, utilities, the oil and gas industry, financial institutions and private investors to develop programs capable of installing solar generation and other appropriate distributed-energy technology on:
- homes
- farms and ranches
- barns and agricultural buildings
- small businesses
- churches and nonprofits
- schools and community buildings
The objective is to avoid forcing families to take on enormous upfront costs simply to participate.
Depending upon the cooperative, utility and financing structure, equipment could be financed, leased, cooperatively owned or supported through performance-based programs.
Families would use locally generated electricity while eligible excess production could contribute to Oklahoma’s broader electrical system.
Instead of only giving corporations incentives to produce electricity and sell it to the people, let’s use our economic-development tools to help the people produce energy too.
2. Reverse the Flow of Government Incentives
Oklahoma currently uses tax incentives and other economic-development tools to attract large corporations.
As governor, I will call for a comprehensive review of those incentives.
If an incentive produces a genuine return for Oklahoma taxpayers, we should be able to demonstrate it. If it doesn’t, we should reconsider it.
Where legally and fiscally appropriate, we will work with the Legislature to redirect resources toward infrastructure that directly benefits Oklahoma households, farms and locally owned businesses.
We will examine:
- existing corporate tax incentives
- private financing
- partnerships with Oklahoma’s energy industry
- cooperative financing
- infrastructure investment
- available state and federal energy programs
- responsible use of state resources where constitutionally and fiscally appropriate
This isn’t about government giving everyone a free solar panel. It’s about using Oklahoma’s economic power to help our people become producers instead of remaining only consumers.
3. Oklahoma Natural Gas + Distributed Energy = Reliable Power
Data centers require tremendous amounts of electricity—and they need that electricity 24 hours a day.
Solar alone cannot provide that reliability.
That’s why this is not a plan to replace Oklahoma oil and natural gas. It’s a plan to partner with them.
Distributed solar and other generation can reduce daytime demand from thousands of homes, farms and businesses while Oklahoma natural gas and other dependable generation resources provide the firm power necessary for major industrial customers.
Instead of arguing about renewable energy versus fossil fuels, Oklahoma should ask a more practical question:
How do we use every Oklahoma energy resource intelligently?
Our answer is an Oklahoma all-of-the-above energy strategy.
4. Protect Oklahoma’s Fresh Water
Data centers can require significant water resources depending upon their cooling technology and design.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry already manages enormous quantities of produced water.
Rather than allowing new industrial development to unnecessarily compete with communities, agriculture and future generations for valuable groundwater, Oklahoma should become a national leader in developing alternatives.
We will bring together:
- oil and gas producers
- universities
- water-treatment companies
- engineers
- data-center operators
- tribes
- municipalities
- farmers and ranchers
- state regulators
Our goal should be straightforward:
Don’t pump drinking-quality groundwater when properly treated non-potable water can safely do the job.
5. Turn Produced Water From a Liability Into an Economic Resource
Produced water shouldn’t automatically be viewed only as waste. It should also be studied as a potential Oklahoma resource.
Some produced-water formations contain lithium and other dissolved minerals. Where concentrations and economics make recovery feasible, Oklahoma should encourage research and responsible commercial development.
Imagine an Oklahoma industry where produced water can potentially be:
collected → treated → minerals recovered → reused for appropriate industrial purposes.
That could create new businesses, new technologies and new jobs while helping the oil and gas industry address one of its longstanding operational challenges.
Oklahoma should become a national research and commercialization center for produced-water treatment and mineral recovery.
6. Data Centers Should Strengthen Oklahoma—not Burden Oklahoma
I am not opposed to data centers.
I am opposed to economic development where taxpayers assume the costs while corporations receive most of the benefits.
Data centers can bring enormous investment into Oklahoma. We should welcome responsible investment.
But when companies seek substantial public incentives, Oklahoma should negotiate from a position of strength.
We should examine agreements that encourage major data-center developments to:
- contribute toward the generation capacity they require
- avoid shifting unreasonable infrastructure costs onto residential customers
- protect groundwater and aquifers
- utilize reclaimed or alternative water whenever feasible
- purchase Oklahoma-produced energy
- invest in Oklahoma workers and communities
- demonstrate measurable economic benefits in exchange for public incentives
Economic development should be a partnership—not a giveaway.
7. Affordable Electricity Becomes Economic Development
Every dollar an Oklahoma family doesn’t have to send away in unnecessarily high utility costs is a dollar that can circulate through the local economy.
It can buy groceries. It can repair a truck. It can be spent at the local restaurant. It can help pay a mortgage. It can go toward retirement. It can be spent at an Oklahoma small business.
That means affordable energy isn’t merely an energy policy. Affordable energy is a small-business policy, an agricultural policy, a retirement policy and a cost-of-living policy.
And as Oklahoma attracts enormous new electricity consumers such as data centers, protecting residential ratepayers must remain one of our highest priorities.
8. A New Partnership With Oklahoma Oil & Gas
For too long, politicians have treated our energy choices as though Oklahoma must pick a side.
Oil or solar. Natural gas or renewable energy. Economic development or environmental protection.
I reject those false choices.
I want Oklahoma oil and gas producers sitting at the same table with our electric cooperatives, farmers, technology companies, universities, water experts and Oklahoma families.
Natural gas can help provide reliable electricity. Distributed generation can reduce demand on the existing grid. Produced water can potentially become an industrial resource. Mineral recovery can create new industries. Data centers can become major customers for Oklahoma energy. And Oklahoma families can become participants in energy production.
Everybody brings something to the table, and everybody should receive something from the partnership.
The Oklahoma Energy Cycle
Oklahoma Oil & Gas ↓
Natural Gas + Produced Water ↓
Reliable Power + Water Treatment + Potential Mineral Recovery ↓
Responsible Data-Center Development ↓
Investment and New Oklahoma Energy Demand ↓
Oklahoma Cooperatives, Communities, Farms & Families ↓
Distributed Energy Production + Lower Household Energy Burden ↓
A Stronger Oklahoma Economy
And then we reinvest and do it again.
We’re Reversing the Flow of the Benefits
For decades, politicians have asked: “What can Oklahoma give corporations to convince them to come here?”
I want Oklahoma to start asking another question:
“If a corporation is going to use Oklahoma’s energy, Oklahoma’s land, Oklahoma’s water and Oklahoma’s infrastructure, what are the people of Oklahoma getting in return?”
This isn’t anti-business. It is exactly the opposite.
It’s about creating partnerships where businesses can make money because Oklahoma prospers with them—not at Oklahoma’s expense.
We can support oil and gas. We can produce more electricity. We can welcome technology. We can protect our groundwater. We can create new industries. We can strengthen our cooperatives. And we can work to lower the energy burden on Oklahoma families.
We don’t have to choose between Oklahoma’s traditional energy industry and Oklahoma’s technological future. We can build that future together.
Robert E. Brooks
Independent Candidate for Governor of Oklahoma
Farmer Servant
It’s a WE thing, not a ME thing.