A newly announced data center project spanning roughly 1,735 acres across four campuses in Enid and Garfield County is proposing to build its own natural gas power plant rather than draw electricity from the local grid, according to developer Plainsmen Holdings, LLC. Project Thunderbird would include up to 3.3 gigawatts of on-site power generation and is designed, per the developer, to operate without raising taxes, electricity rates, or water bills for area residents.
The proposal was detailed in a report from News 9, which outlined the scope of the plan. Plainsmen Holdings says the project would not rely on the regional electrical grid for campus power, instead standing up its own natural gas facility. The amount of revenue the development could generate for Enid, Garfield County and area school districts has not been determined.
Chad Dillingham, a co-managing partner of Plainsmen Holdings, said Project Thunderbird will support the long-term future of Vance Air Force Base and the Enid community. Dr. Marcie Mack, identified as ERDA's executive director, discussed the project's potential construction and permanent jobs and revenue. Plainsmen Holdings lists Jason Singer, Aaron Singer, Dillingham, and Troy Phillips as partners in the venture.
An Off-Grid Design Built Around a New State Law
On April 28, 2026, the Oklahoma Senate passed an amended version of House Bill 2992, the Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act. The Oklahoma Senate said the measure would require large-load users to pay separate billing tariffs and cover the full cost of grid and power infrastructure upgrades rather than shifting those costs to residential ratepayers, according to the Oklahoma Senate. The Senate passed an amended version unanimously on April 28, and the bill returned to the House. By using behind-the-meter generation across proposed sites north, east, west-central and south of Enid, Project Thunderbird appears designed to reduce reliance on the grid.
An April 2026 amendment to the same bill added transparency requirements for large-load energy projects, per the Oklahoma Senate.
Water Plans Tied to Enid's New Pipeline
Rather than pulling from local groundwater wells, Project Thunderbird plans to use raw water from the Kaw Lake pipeline if the project wins approval. Enid recently completed a $356 million water line intended to provide another source of water and reduce the city's reliance on diminishing groundwater supplies, according to News 9.
Project Thunderbird's design calls for raw water from the Kaw Lake pipeline, with cooling on campus relying on closed-loop recirculation technology using the raw surface water, according to the developer's plans, if the project is approved.
A Pitch Built Around Vance Air Force Base
Central to the project's framing is its relationship to Vance Air Force Base, which the developer says would benefit from proposed backup power and secure fiber. The connection is pitched as helping the base address a Department of Defense backup-power requirement.
The proposed infrastructure connection is designed to strengthen Vance Air Force Base's operational reliability and support its backup energy needs, per the developer's plans.
Where Thunderbird Fits in Oklahoma's Data Center Boom
Project Thunderbird enters a statewide debate that has already produced friction elsewhere in Oklahoma. It follows the proposal of Project Emerald, a $50 billion, 2.4-gigawatt data center campus spanning 2,000 acres in Pittsburg County, which Hoodline reported features long-term tax abatements and community betterment payments.
Project Thunderbird is part of a broader debate over utility and infrastructure demands from data centers in Oklahoma.
Plainsmen Holdings frames Project Thunderbird as designed to create lasting benefits for Enid through infrastructure investment, economic growth, and a stronger local tax base, without raising local taxes, electricity rates, or water bills, per the developer. Whether Enid and Garfield County residents view the proposed power design and water approach as sufficient safeguards remains an open question.
