In his 2025 State of the State address on Monday, Governor Kevin Stitt touted Oklahoma’s strong economic performance and highlighted a $620 million manufacturing investment. Notably, the Governor did not mention the renewable energy links associated with the project or that the new factory would be owned by a foreign company.
Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce announced that Norwegian solar company NorSun would build a 5 gigawatt silicon wafer manufacturing facility at the Tulsa International Airport. According to industry reports, the facility is projected to create roughly 320 jobs, with the potential to expand to 10 gigawatts of production capacity. The plant is planned for a 60-acre, shovel-ready site, with production scheduled to begin in 2026. But when he mentioned it in his address, many of these details were skipped or stretched.
“This past year, a manufacturing company announced that it’s going to invest $620 million dollars in Oklahoma, bringing thousands of jobs and spurring more economic growth.”
– Governor Kevin Stitt, during his 2025 State of the State Address.
International Partnerships
The line about NorSun appears about halfway into the ~35 minute speech but immediately before it, the governor said, “The world is taking notice of our efforts.” The governor's speech did not explicitly name any countries in Oklahoma, but he does reference “the world” eight times. But one country in particular may feel somewhat snubbed by this.
In December of last year, Governor Stitt met with members from the Danish Embassy in the United States to announce that Denmark and Oklahoma had signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at bolstering partnerships in energy, technology, aerospace, and defense. The agreement included plans for several energy projects in Oklahoma over the coming years.
But since that memorandum was signed, Denmark has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump for refusing to hand over the autonomous territory of Greenland, insisting it's not for sale. Now the country faces potential tariff threats from the president and is ready and willing to respond with tariffs of its own. Recent proposals targeting Danish imports, as reported by MarketWatch, could drive up costs for companies involved in Oklahoma renewable projects, potentially disrupting supply chains and delaying economic benefits before new projects ever get off the ground.
Political Reactions
Instead of renewables, Governor Stitt mentioned on Oklahoma’s traditional energy strengths in his speech and made a brief, derisive reference to “green new deals.” Yet despite his long-standing and loud public support for oil and gas, his track record as governor does include several instances of support for renewable energy-linked initiatives to create jobs and boost manufacturing in the state (Tesla, Canoo, Panasonic, Enel and others).
But while this somewhat pragmatic approach stood to bring investment and jobs to the state, Republican frontrunners for the 2026 governor’s race have heavily criticized Stitt’s support for them. Attorney General Gentner Drummond, for example, publicly condemned what he described as contradictory energy policies. In a post on X, he stated, “I am severely disappointed to see Gov. Stitt joining radical leftists in perpetuating the green energy scam. Oklahomans deserve better.” Similarly, State Superintendent Ryan Walters expressed concerns at a rally at the state capitol, questioning new wind energy developments and the shift away from traditional energy sources (The Oklahoman).
Analysis
It’s extremely likely Governor Stitt left out renewable energy details in his address on purpose. Instead of voicing support for renewable energy projects that could create future jobs and boost Oklahoma’s economy, he played the hits and sang the praises of fossil fuels because that’s what his party wants to hear. If you preach to the choir you won’t get booed, but turn your back on them and they won’t hesitate to turn on you.
By not mentioning the memorandum with Denmark or the NorSun project, Stitt reveals he’s willing to ignore progress if that’s what his party wants. He supports renewable energy to win jobs for the state when it's convenient for him, but his constant attacks on buzzwords like “green new deal” reveal he actually cares more about keeping his base happy than attracting good paying "green" jobs.
Critics like Drummond and Walters call him a flip-flopper, and they might be right. Yet their inability, or unwillingness, to accept gray area speaks to a deeper problem: the death of nuance in Oklahoma's political discourse.
Today’s politics has little room for the messy middle ground where real progress happens. Leaders no longer die on the hill for compromise, and even as a lame duck Stitt still seems unwilling to risk his legacy by doing so. This is the price we pay when political survival replaces leadership.