Google Secures Approval for Major Data Center Campus Near Tulsa, Oklahoma
February 5, 2026
In a significant expansion of its US infrastructure footprint, Google has received the final regulatory approval to proceed with a new data center campus in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan area. The move underscores the intense competition among cloud and AI giants to secure capacity and favorable locations for power-intensive computing, with Oklahoma emerging as a key battleground due to its available land, energy resources, and strategic incentives. The Sand Springs City Council voted 6-1 on February 3 to approve the rezoning for the project, codenamed "Project Spring." The campus will be developed on an 827-acre property at 5615 OK-97 by White Rose Partners. While the full build-out details remain confidential, local reports indicate the potential for three data center buildings.
Google has committed that the actual campus will occupy less than 10 percent of the massive site, with 30-40 percent preserved as green space. The approval follows Google's announcement in August 2025 of a planned $9 billion investment to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure across Oklahoma. This new campus near Tulsa represents a substantial part of that commitment. Construction is slated to begin in 2027, with completion targeted for 2029. Google has stated it will finance all necessary new infrastructure, including a dedicated electrical substation and transmission lines, asserting that "this commitment safeguards public finances while supporting the resiliency of the grid." The project has not been without controversy. The land was annexed by the city in June 2025, a process some residents criticized as lacking transparency. A lawsuit regarding the annexation remains ongoing. Kyle Schmidt, president of the opposition group Project Sand Springs Alliance, argued that the core issue was procedural, stating, “It's government overreach without citizen input, and when they were called out for it, they decided their best course of action was to plow ahead and just railroad it over the citizens.”
For the data center industry, Google's move highlights the continued geographic diversification beyond traditional hubs like Northern Virginia. Oklahoma is attracting massive investments, with Google also developing a separate, up-to-$3 billion campus in Stillwater and Beale Infrastructure planning a $1 billion project near Tulsa. This clustering effect can stimulate local economies but also tests grid capacity and community relations, setting a precedent for how tech giants navigate expansion in new regions.
Source: datacenterdynamics
