SAND SPRINGS — If you Google who will be the end user of the proposed Sand Springs data center, you’ll come up with… well… Google.
City Manager Mike Carter used the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce’s “State of the City” presentation Wednesday, Jan. 14, to publicly identify the global Internet and technology giant as the prospective tenant behind the data center proposal, telling the crowd, “I’m pleased to announce that the data center being proposed here in Sand Springs is Google.” Carter added that representatives from Google would be present at the City Council meeting on Jan 20 to answer questions from the council and the public.
Carter’s announcement came as he addressed community debate over the project and attempted to reframe the conversation around what he called the everyday role of data centers. “Data centers are the warehouses of the digital age,” Carter said, describing facilities that “store, process and transmit enormous amounts of data” that power “everything from your smartphone apps to your hospital medical records, from online banking to weather forecasting, from business operations and yes, lastly, national security.” He told attendees that data centers aren’t optional anymore. Arguing they are as essential to modern life as roads, water treatment plants and electrical grids.
The city manager also leaned into the financial upside he believes the project would bring, repeatedly linking the proposal to long-term stability for city government and a potentially major boost for local schools.
“Let me be direct,” Carter said. “If approved, the data center will have a positive and transformative eect upon our city and more importantly, our schools.”
He said he expects the fiscal impact to the city of Sand Springs to exceed $100 million over the life of the proposed project, and he described data centers as among the highest value properties per acre.
Carter said that unlike residential growth, which requires expanded city services, data centers generate revenue without bringing comparable demands.
“They don’t send their children to schools, they don't generate significant trac during peak hours, and they don’t require expanded emergency services,” he said, explaining that they do generate property tax revenue, along with sales tax revenue, tied to construction and purchases, plus utility revenues that can create what he called a “predictable long term income stream for the city.”
Carter said “franchise fees could become one of the highest forms of revenue for our community,” and later estimated that on a conservative estimate, franchise revenue tied to operations could become 25 to 30 percent of the city’s income.”
The school-funding piece, Carter said, is the central prize.
"Perhaps no benefit matters more than education funding,” he told the crowd.
“Data Centers typically contribute millions of dollars annually to local school districts through property taxes, money that can support competitive teacher salaries, modern technology and STEM programs, facility improvements, expanded arts and athletics and smaller class sizes.”
Carter emphasized that, in his view, “this funding doesn’t increase taxes on residents, and continues year after year.”
He tied the argument to workforce preparation.
“We can’t rely on the old economy,” he said. “We need to prep our kids to be in that modern technology environment, and we have to be competitive. They have to be competitive, or they’re going to be left behind. They cannot be left behind.”
Carter acknowledged controversy over a nondisclosure agreement tied to discussions about the project and said NDAs are routine in economic development. “I’ve signed at least 14 NDAs during my time as city manager,” he said, arguing such agreements protect “trade secrets and a competitive advantage.” Carter said he signed this NDA because he wanted to know “who the end user was” and to ensure the prospect was “a legitimate quality prospect for our community.” He also said, “in the end, we have to make that information available and it comes out and it’s all overseen by your city council.”
Carter addressed concerns about water and said the city has been informed by Google that water cooling is not being planned for the proposed center in Sand Springs.
In a later Q&A exchange, Carter reiterated the point more plainly: “No, they won’t be using water for cooling. They’ll have for domestic only. It will be for restrooms and sinks and things like that.”
On power, Carter said Sand Springs is part of a regional grid governed through the Southwest Power Pool, and he posed a question to the audience as he discussed rate impacts: “If rates were to increase due to a large power users, should we benefit from a project here or not receive any benefit at all?"
When asked about rising electric bills and whether ratepayers are already being asked to shoulder capacity costs, Carter said, “I think you will see rate increases anyway. Whether it happened in Sand Springs, whether we put one here or not, you’re going to see electric rates impacted.”
Carter also argued that data centers require comparatively little trac and city service load, contrasting the proposal with other development types. “Data centers generate minimal trac," he said, adding that “a single big box retail store generates more trac than a data center."
On noise and lighting, he said “the developer agreed to limit noise to a 65 decibels at the property line,” and said mitigation techniques for light pollution were also part of the discussion.
The city manager pointed to other communities as examples, telling attendees that “Pryor Oklahoma has enthusiastically endorsed data centers.”
Carter said that members of the Sand Springs City Council visited Pryor and spoke with city leaders there. He also referenced recent Oklahoma projects and national policy talk around large-load power users, describing a federal proposal he said he had read about that would require data centers to “bring the generation with them onto the grid.”
For Sand Springs, Carter said this decision was a turning point.
“We stand at the crossroads,” he said. “One path leads to cautious preservation of the status quo… The other path leads to thoughtful, strategic growth that strengthens our community without sacrificing what makes it special.”
He urged the community to weigh the proposal based on “facts rather than fear,” adding, “I believe we can grow stronger while remaining true to who we are.”
The Chamber’s annual event, held at Tulsa Tech campus in Sand Springs, opened with remarks from Chamber Director Amanda Wion, who thanked sponsors and described Sand Springs as a community built on “connection, collaboration and growth.” Quoting, “Alone, we can do so little.
Together, we can do so much,” Wion told the room, “we don’t do it alone. We do it together.” Sand Springs Home trustee Eric Stuckey followed with comments about the trust’s legacy programs, then Mayor Jim Spoon introduced Carter and said the council “is certainly behind him.”
Carter told the audience that additional public meetings are scheduled and that the city moved them to the high school “so we could accommodate more people.” He said a public information meeting is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 20, followed by a Planning Commission meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 27 and a city council meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 3, where the final decision could be ob the agenda.