PROJECT
Kiowa Data Center
Long-term, responsible development for Pittsburg County.
1,000+
Construction Jobs
100+
Operations Jobs
$250,000
Annual Community Grants Program
Overview
The proposed Kiowa Data Center is a 1,600MW campus spread across 2,000 acres of unincorporated land in Pittsburg County near Kiowa, Oklahoma. Approximately 10% of the site would be used for data center buildings, with the remainder being used for support facilities, access roads and natural vegetation. Data centers are facilities that house powerful computers and equipment used to store, process, and deliver digital information.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and create more than 1,000 jobs, with over 100 full-time positions anticipated once the site is fully operational. Energization is anticipated beginning in 2028. At full build-out after a phased ramp schedule, the project is expected to generate at least $30 million annually in local tax revenue. Over 25 years, tax revenue from the project could total at least $600 million, including substantial funding for Kiowa Schools, Pittsburg County, and local community initiatives. In addition, the Project will make annual community betterment payments of up to $5 million per year which can be allocated by the County to community initiatives and infrastructure or amenity upgrades.
The facility is planned with a closed-loop water cooling system designed to minimize long-term water use. The system does not consume water on an ongoing basis during normal operation; the only water drawn is for scheduled refilling during annual inspection and maintenance, estimated at less than 1% of the initial fill.
1,600MW
Total Capacity
2,000 Acres
Land Area
2028
First Energization
IREN will work with local governments and communities, hire local staff and contract with local businesses where possible, providing training and upskilling opportunities, and investing $250,000 each year through our Community Grants Program. The proposed project will create more than 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 100 ongoing operational jobs, which are expected to be mostly based on site.
As businesses, governments, community services, industry research and development and the public use more data and digital services than ever before, local data centers are increasingly important to support our economy and everyday lives.
POWER
Under our agreement with PSO, IREN will pay 100% of the costs to connect the data center to the grid as well as ongoing transmission costs. IREN will pay PSO for the electric service required by the project.
Oklahoma is a net exporter of electricity. According to PSO, “All customers benefit from the grid costs paid by data centers. Because data centers bring steady demand and funding over time, the costs of running the system are shared among more customers — reducing pressure on everyone's bills.”
On-site backup power generation is included in the project design, so in the event of a grid emergency the data center can go off-grid to prioritize the power needs of critical local services and households.
Lastly, Oklahoma’s Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026 (the “OK Ratepayer Protection Act”), effective July 1, 2026, protects existing residential, commercial and industrial customers from paying unjust rates resulting directly from electric service to large-scale energy users, including new data centers, that contract to add 75MW or greater electric load per facility or in aggregate behind a single point of interconnection to an electric supplier’s load after the effective date. The OK Ratepayer Protection Act requires the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to ensure that all rates are fair, just and reasonable, and that costs and revenues are assigned and allocated among customers in accordance with cost causation principles.
LAND
The project site is on private land. Of the 2,000-acre site, only around 10% will be used for the data hall buildings, with the rest used for administrative buildings, substations, roads and natural vegetation.
WATER
IREN designs its facilities with modern cooling technology to minimize water use. Our Kiowa campus will not consume water for cooling on an ongoing basis. Unlike evaporative cooling systems used by some data center providers, our cooling system reuses water in a closed loop. Think of it like a car radiator – another closed system that reuses water for cooling.
The project will be built out progressively, during which around 1 million gallons of water will be added per quarter for its initial fill, which will total around 25 million gallons once the fill is complete. For context, 1 million gallons is equivalent to less than two Olympic swimming pools.
If local supply is not available or appropriate, water can be hauled to the site. This is exactly what IREN has done at its site in Childress, Texas. IREN has already signed letters of intent with multiple water transportation companies that have confirmed they can supply the initial fill with water from outside Pittsburg County if required.
Once filled, the system does not consume water while running. It is partially drained and refilled each year as part of scheduled inspection and maintenance, and that refill is estimated at less than 1% of the water the system holds. The water drained during maintenance contains no forever chemicals (PFAS). It is collected, trucked off the property, and disposed of responsibly at a licensed facility. Our longer-term plan is to store that water on site during maintenance and put it back into the system afterward, so that eventually very little water leaves the property at all.
NOISE AND VISUAL
IREN has secured 2,000 acres of land in Pittsburg County. We selected this site in part because of the existing ambient noise from the highway and power plant, as well as the low number of immediately adjacent dwellings.
The natural ridges and hills around the site can further serve as a noise buffer.
ABOUT IREN
The IREN Story
IREN began in 2018 with a vision: to create the real-world infrastructure needed to support the growing digital world. Across North America, we operate data centers that strengthen rural communities while stewarding natural resources. IREN is a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq, providing computing capacity to technology leaders like Microsoft, NVIDIA, Together AI, Perplexity and Figure AI.
Why IREN is different
- IREN is vertically integrated. We develop, build, own and operate our data centers—owning the high-voltage substation all the way to the computing chips and software.
- We partner with communities, hiring staff and local businesses from across the region where possible, providing upskilling opportunities, and investing up to $250,000 per data center each year through our Community Grants Program.
- We strategically choose rural sites with abundant power, reducing strain on energy grids and communities.
- IREN uses modern cooling technology that reuses water in a closed loop to minimize water use.
Childress Data Center, TX
In Childress, Texas, IREN is hiring locals, funding schools and supporting small businesses. The site employs over 170 people in full-time, long-term roles. IREN supports 15 local programs with community grants, deepening the local bonds that IREN has built over several years of construction and operations. The site is expected to generate around $80 million annually in total economic output for the Childress area once fully operational.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Hiring locals and regional businesses
Jobs and Upskilling
Digital services are the growth engine of today’s economy, and rural areas can directly benefit. IREN hires locally wherever possible and provides training and upskilling opportunities.
Local Spending
Construction and long-term operations generate increased activity at shops, restaurants, hardware stores and more, creating ripple effects throughout the local economy.
Community Funding
IREN’s $250,000 Community Grants Program contributes funds to local programs on an annual basis to support community priorities.
Funding local initiatives
“Before IREN stepped in, we were cooking without proper air conditioning. Their donation didn’t just fix a problem, it transformed how we serve our clients every day.”
Nancy Simpson, Childress Meals on Wheels
“IREN’s commitment goes far beyond funding. Their employees are out here volunteering, maintaining our fields, and supporting the kids at games. Their families are part of our league, and that’s what makes the difference.”
Chad Hall, Childress Little League
Frequently Asked Questions
As businesses, governments, community services, industry research and development and the public use more data and digital services than ever before, local data centers are increasingly important to support our economy and everyday lives.
Data centers power everything from daily activities such as checking local weather, online banking, using social media, phone apps and streaming live sports matches, to high-performance computing that supports national priorities such as expanding defense capabilities, designing the next generation of robotics and advancing medical research.
We identified southeastern Oklahoma because it offers several important advantages for large-scale digital infrastructure. The region has abundant energy, access to transmission capacity, available land, transport connectivity and proximity to fiber connections. Oklahoma also has a long history of successfully supporting large infrastructure and energy projects, as well as a talented workforce that can support the project.
Since we began developing in Kiowa and Pittsburg County, we have also gotten to know many local residents and community leaders. We are excited to be a long-term community partner.
Projects of this scale are typically constructed in phases over multiple years, with new buildings and computing equipment added over time. We anticipate major construction activity could start in 2027 and continue for several years.
We estimate the project could support more than 1,000 construction jobs during development and more than 100 long-term operational jobs.
Operational jobs are at all skill and education levels, from apprentices to general managers and diverse roles across electrical and mechanical trades, technicians, security, grounds maintenance, administration, cleaning, catering, network and mechanical engineers.
Job openings will be posted to iren.com/careers once available. We intend to prioritize local and regional suppliers wherever possible.
In addition to the more than 1,000 direct construction jobs and more than 100 operational jobs, projects like this create opportunities for local trucking companies, restaurants, hotels, suppliers, and service providers throughout the region.
The project will use up to 1,600MW of electrical capacity.
Under our agreement with PSO, IREN will pay 100% of the costs to connect the data center to the grid as well as ongoing transmission costs. IREN will pay PSO for the electric service required by the project.
Oklahoma is a net exporter of electricity. According to PSO, “All customers benefit from the grid costs paid by data centers. Because data centers bring steady demand and funding over time, the costs of running the system are shared among more customers — reducing pressure on everyone’s bills.”
On-site backup power generation is included in the project design, so in the event of a grid emergency the data center can go off-grid to prioritize the power needs of critical local services and households.
Lastly, Oklahoma’s Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026 (the “OK Ratepayer Protection Act”), effective July 1, 2026, protects existing residential, commercial and industrial customers from paying unjust rates resulting directly from electric service to large-scale energy users, including new data centers, that contract to add 75MW or greater electric load per facility or in aggregate behind a single point of interconnection to an electric supplier’s load after the effective date. The OK Ratepayer Protection Act requires the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to ensure that all rates are fair, just and reasonable, and that costs and revenues are assigned and allocated among customers in accordance with cost causation principles.
IREN designs its facilities with modern cooling technology to minimize water use. Our Kiowa campus will not consume water for cooling on an ongoing basis. Unlike evaporative cooling systems used by some data center providers, our cooling system reuses water in a closed loop. Think of it like a car radiator – another closed system that reuses water for cooling.
The project will be built out progressively, during which around 1 million gallons of water will be added per quarter for its initial fill, which will total around 25 million gallons once the fill is complete. For context, 1 million gallons is equivalent to less than two Olympic swimming pools.
If local supply is not available or appropriate, water can be hauled to the site. This is exactly what IREN has done at its site in Childress, Texas. IREN has already signed letters of intent with multiple water transportation companies that have confirmed they can supply the initial fill with water from outside Pittsburg County if required.
Once filled, the system does not consume water while running. It is partially drained and refilled each year as part of scheduled inspection and maintenance, and that refill is estimated at less than 1% of the water the system holds. The water drained during maintenance contains no forever chemicals (PFAS). It is collected, trucked off the property, and disposed of responsibly at a licensed facility. Our longer-term plan is to store that water on site during maintenance and put it back into the system afterward, so that eventually very little water leaves the property at all.
No. IREN does not have NDAs in place with government officials in Oklahoma.
CONTACT