Thursday, Jun 25, 2026
Does Oklahoma produce nearly three times more energy than it consumes?
Oklahoma produced 2.9 times more energy than it consumed at 4,393.8 trillion Btu in 2023, ranking eighth in the nation in energy production.
The industrial sector accounted for 40% of energy consumption, while the residential and commercial sectors accounted for 15% and 14%, respectively.
Natural gas accounted for the vast majority of the energy produced in Oklahoma at 76%, followed by crude oil at 20% and renewable sources at 3%. Oklahoma generally produces three to four times as much natural gas as it consumes; the excess is either stored in in-state storage fields or transported interstate.
Natural gas and wind energy accounted for 50% and 41% of Oklahoma’s electricity production, respectively.
Despite an unusual rate of electricity bill increases, Oklahoma residents are protected from further increases directly caused by large data centers, per a recently passed law.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration Total primary energy production and total energy consumption estimates in trillion Btu, 2023
- U.S. Energy Information Administration Table P2. Primary energy production estimates in trillion Btu, 2023
- U.S. Energy Information Administration Oklahoma - Analysis
- Oklahoma Watch Have Oklahoma electric bills increased at a proportionally higher rate since 2020 than neighboring states?
- Oklahoma Watch Did Oklahoma recently pass a law that requires any new data center using 75 or more megawatts to pay their own infrastructure costs and give 60 days notice before buying land?
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.
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Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) corporation that produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, we dig deep and examine significant issues facing our state. Our work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. We help develop the journalists and journalism of the future.
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