Archer Pushes Groundwater Protections as Oklahoma Targets Data Center Water Use

News | May 20, 2026, 8:32 AM by Paragon Staff

Oklahoma City, OK – State Rep. Nick Archer is helping lead an effort at the Oklahoma Capitol aimed at protecting groundwater resources across Western Oklahoma as lawmakers respond to growing concerns over water use tied to large data centers and artificial intelligence facilities.

Oklahoma legislators recently passed Senate Bill 259, a measure designed to limit how large data centers cool their systems and reduce the amount of groundwater consumed in the process. The bill now awaits action from Oklahoma’s governor.

Archer, who represents Elk City and much of Western Oklahoma, presented an amendment related to the measure during committee discussions earlier this spring. He said the issue is especially important for rural areas that continue dealing with dry conditions and heavy reliance on underground water supplies.

“Groundwater is one of our most valuable resources in Western Oklahoma,” Archer said during legislative discussions. “We have to make sure we are protecting it for future generations.”

The legislation targets cooling systems commonly used by data centers, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence operations that require massive amounts of computing power. Traditional evaporative cooling systems can consume enormous amounts of water daily.

Under SB259, new facilities would be required to use lower water-use technologies such as closed-loop cooling systems or dielectric immersion cooling systems instead of high-consumption methods.

Support for the bill grew after reports from Georgia revealed one data center allegedly used roughly 30 million gallons of water without paying for it, alarming lawmakers across several states. Legislators in Kansas, Utah, California, and Virginia have also begun examining similar groundwater protection measures as the AI industry rapidly expands nationwide.

Rep. Carl Newton joined Archer and other lawmakers in supporting the legislation, saying Oklahoma must be proactive before large-scale projects place additional pressure on rural water supplies.

The measure comes as much of Western Oklahoma continues monitoring drought conditions in 2026, even while eastern portions of the state have received heavier rainfall.

Lawmakers supporting the bill said they are not attempting to stop economic development or AI investment in Oklahoma. Instead, they want to ensure future projects do not negatively impact farmers, ranchers, communities, and residents who depend on groundwater every day.

If signed into law, Oklahoma would join a growing number of states placing stricter environmental standards on rapidly expanding data center developments tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure.