Evan Brown is the executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Edge (Economic Development Growth and Expansion). Evan previously served as Secretary of State and Deputy Director of Business Development and Legislative Director, Evan brings extensive experience in public services and economic strategy. At Edge, he led initiatives to boost global business growth and expand economic opportunities and emphasized attracting technology companies to Oklahoma.
Evan helped promote Oklahoma’s position as a competitive hub for technology investments, the height of Google’s recent purchase of land for future data centers, a key milestone in the state’s ongoing efforts to attract innovation and growth in high-tech industries.
Let’s start with the big news – Google has acquired a future data center campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Can you tell us how this project was implemented and what it means for the local and state economies?
Google has called Oklahoma homes for more than a decade, investing $4.4 billion in its data center at Midamerica Industrial Park in Pryor, Oklahoma. The company has been a great partner in the state, hiring both Oklahomans and giving back to the local community. Google also continues to invest in STEM education by granting grants to schools and other organizations, which also helps ensure a stable workforce pipeline in the coming years.
Oklahoma is specifically known as the beneficiary of $20 billion foreign investment aimed at increasing AI and cloud technology. What makes Oklahoma a strategic location for this development?
Oklahoma’s central location, affordable energy costs, and commitment to becoming the most business-friendly state in the country make it perfect for any major investment. Our state is always open to business, providing incentives and state-of-the-art infrastructure for new and growing companies. Businesses just need to call us and we will show them exactly why Oklahoma is the right state for them to grow or expand.
In 2023, Oklahoma announced 71 announcements for new and expanding companies. What trends do you see in choosing the business types in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma is not only an ideal place for new technology companies, but also a hub for national defense. We have five military facilities, the Department of Defense continues to invest, and our team is also engaged in multiple defense manufacturing projects that could bring in more than 1,000 jobs and $1 billion in investment. We have a company based in Oklahoma City, Long Wave, which was recently awarded a subcontract to help develop new aircraft for the Navy. The contract accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars in six years, and they add 150 new jobs. We are also taking steps to critical mineral manufacturing in the U.S. onshore, thus reducing the country’s dependence on other countries. In Stillwater, we have American Rare Earths, the first rare earth metal manufacturing plant in the United States. They produced the first magnets earlier this year. Earlier this year, there was Stardust Power, a lithium refining company that broke ground at the $1.2 billion refinery in Muskogee.
Google’s decision reflects confidence in Oklahoma’s infrastructure. Can you elaborate on what makes the state’s infrastructure particularly suitable for large data centers?
It all depends on our affordable energy and business-friendly policies. Data centers require a lot of energy, and now we generate 60% more energy than Oklahoma consumes. The community can also work directly with these companies to propose designated power generation for data center development or other projects.
Oklahoma has nearly 20%, below the national average, while CNBC’s CNBC ranked first in cost, and Oklahoma is clearly competitive. How do you take advantage of these advantages in your economic development strategy?
In Oklahoma, we generate 60% more energy than we consume, which is a huge advantage when recruiting data centers or other similar high-energy businesses. Our grid is reliable because we are a member of Southwest Power Twist, so we won’t see the rolling blackouts you see in some parts of the country. Our goal is to be the friendliest state in the country. We are centrally located, we have the furthest inland ports in the country, the national leaders are committed to cutting the traditional tape festival, we have affordable energy and we can go directly to the state leadership.
These site plans have played a role in identifying industrial and large sites across the state. How does the program work and how can it help attract projects like Google?
Site representatives support industrial transformation and economic success. This is how we work with communities across the state to proactively address the needs of infrastructure needed to meet the needs of existing businesses and companies looking to set up operations in Oklahoma. If the community has a website with infrastructure needs, you can apply and if the community is selected, we work with the community to help pay for some of these improvements. This shows that the company wants to expand or move to Oklahoma, a state committed to preparing a site for them so they can get up and running as soon as possible. It also shows the Oklahoma community that the state is committed to investing in its communities and preparing for economic growth. Just like when you shop for a new home. We hope the business sees its potential location, falls in love with the website and the community, and is excited to move in.
How does Oklahoma prepare its talent pipeline, especially in areas such as technology and advanced manufacturing to meet the needs of these new investments?
We are committed to ensuring that every high school graduate is ready to go to college or prepare for a career. We have schools like Norman’s Aviation Academy where high school students can work for pilot licenses or technical certificates in aviation maintenance. We are taking steps to expand our internship and apprenticeship programs, while also building partnerships between schools and businesses. Oklahoma has an excellent Careertech system that helps companies understand the skills they need and incorporate this information into the classroom.
Stillwater’s collaboration with multiple local partners is crucial to ensuring the project. What lessons can other cities or states learn from such successful public-private partnerships?
We understand the value of public and private partnerships. Economic development is not carried out in silos. It’s not a state or community; it’s a state working with the community to understand their needs and desires for growth. We must deliberately engage in strong relationships throughout the state through elected officials and community partners to ensure we have a thorough understanding of the assets. If we put it to an Oklahoma company, we must know all of our assets so that we can help connect the business to the community that best suits their needs.
How do you see this Google investment shaping the future of Oklahoma’s economic development? Whether it can pave the way for similar technology-centric programs or ways companies follow?
We learned that free markets create jobs, not governments. We don’t want to put our thumbs on scale, choose winners and losers. Thanks to our business-friendly policies and advantages in energy and other areas, we create an environment where entrepreneurs and businesses can thrive. We receive weekly calls from data centers, rare earth businesses, and other technology-centric companies interested in Oklahoma, and it is possible to find the community partners that best suit their needs.
Looking ahead, what do you think about Oklahoma’s role in the national economy, especially as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital infrastructure continue to grow?
Gov. Kevin Stitt always says he wants to take Oklahoma to the world and bring the world back to Oklahoma. In 2024 alone, our team chaired 19 consulate representatives, two ambassadors and one crown prince. We have carried out eight international outbound missions to countries such as South Korea and Japan and assisted with six international memorandums of understanding agreements. We are working to build relationships directly between Oklahoma and other countries.
