Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, is joining the state agency responsible for regulating the oil and gas industry, utility companies and more. The three-member commission frequently votes on electricity rate cases. Boles is set to replace term-limited Todd Hiett in January.
The election occurred against a backdrop of rising electricity bills and an increase in data center proposals. City-wide moratoriums on the energy-hungry facilities have been enacted in Oklahoma City and Tulsa as residents question environmental impacts.
While the commission does not regulate data centers, the elected officials are charged with ensuring electricity rates are reasonable while balancing the financial interests of investor-owned utilities. Commissioners will soon vote on service conditions for large load customers like data center operators.
Boles has been a state legislator since 2018 and chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Oversight Committee. He introduced the Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, which was signed into law earlier this year. It requires electricity suppliers to create separate terms and conditions for large-scale customers like data centers and crypto mining operations.
Boles told NonDoc Media he doesn’t lean far on either side of the data center debate.
“Oklahomans deserve reliable, affordable energy and utility services without being burdened by government overreach,” Boles writes on his website.
The state lawmaker also authored a bill allowing companies to build their own energy generation on-site. Some data centers are eyeing this option to avoid connecting to the grid. Senate Bill 480 passed in 2025.
Commissioners serve staggered six-year terms. Boles joins Chair Kim David and Commissioner Brian Bingman on the regulatory body.
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