According to DCD, Beale Infrastructure has broken ground on a $1 billion data center campus called Project Clydesdale in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. The 506-acre development in Owasso will consist of at least one phase with three possible additional phases, each covering approximately 200,000 square feet. The project, which was first reported in May and received county approval for economic development plans and tax incentives in September, is expected to create 100 high-paying jobs. Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell praised the investment as demonstrating Oklahoma’s leadership in modern technologies. This significant development signals a broader trend in regional data center expansion that deserves closer examination.
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The Secondary Market Strategy
Beale’s move into Tulsa represents a calculated shift toward secondary and tertiary markets that offer compelling advantages over traditional data center hubs. Unlike Northern Virginia or Silicon Valley, Oklahoma provides lower land costs, competitive energy rates, and favorable climate conditions for cooling efficiency. The state’s central geographic location also offers strategic latency advantages for serving both coastal markets, making it an ideal distribution point for content delivery networks and cloud services targeting the central United States. This expansion pattern mirrors what we’re seeing in other emerging markets like Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, where developers are finding untapped potential beyond saturated primary markets.
Beyond the 100 Jobs: Regional Economic Impact
While the announcement highlights 100 direct jobs, the true economic impact extends far beyond these positions. Data center developments typically generate substantial construction employment during build-out phases, followed by ongoing indirect jobs in security, maintenance, and support services. More significantly, they create foundational digital infrastructure that attracts technology companies, startups, and remote workers seeking robust connectivity. For Tulsa, which has been working to diversify beyond its traditional energy and aerospace industries, this investment represents a crucial step toward establishing the region as a legitimate tech hub. The presence of major digital infrastructure can be a deciding factor for companies considering relocation or expansion.
Oklahoma’s Emerging Data Center Ecosystem
Project Clydesdale isn’t occurring in isolation—it’s part of a broader transformation of Oklahoma’s digital landscape. Google’s established campus in Pryor has been expanding since 2011, providing validation for the region’s viability. Meanwhile, the rumored Project Anthem development potentially linked to Meta suggests that multiple major players see similar potential in the Tulsa area. This clustering effect is common in data center markets, where once one major operator establishes presence, others follow to leverage the same infrastructure advantages and talent pool. What’s particularly interesting is how these developments are creating distinct geographic clusters within Oklahoma—Tulsa County emerging as one hub while Oklahoma City develops its own ecosystem through acquisitions like Tonaquint’s EdgeX data center purchase.
The Blue Owl Connection: Capital Flows Into Infrastructure
Beale’s backing by Blue Owl Capital underscores a significant trend in infrastructure investment. Private equity and alternative asset managers are increasingly targeting digital infrastructure as a core allocation, recognizing the stable, long-term returns offered by essential data center assets. This financial backing enables developers like Beale to pursue ambitious multi-phase projects that might otherwise be challenging to finance through traditional means. The $1 billion price tag for Project Clydesdale reflects both the scale of modern data center requirements and the confidence institutional investors have in the continued growth of digital services. This pattern of deep-pocketed financial sponsors backing infrastructure developers is reshaping how digital real estate gets built across North America.
Infrastructure and Sustainability Considerations
The rapid expansion of data center capacity in regions like Oklahoma brings important considerations around power availability and environmental impact. While Oklahoma benefits from relatively low electricity costs and diverse generation sources, the energy demands of large-scale data centers can strain local grids if not properly planned. Developers will need to work closely with utilities like OG&E to ensure adequate capacity and explore renewable energy options to meet corporate sustainability targets. Additionally, water usage for cooling remains a critical consideration, particularly in regions that may face drought conditions. Beale’s approach to these challenges will likely influence how other developers approach similar projects in emerging markets.
