A Modular Data Center Strategy Built for Tornado Alley

How Rural Electric Co-ops Deployed 59+ “Mini Data Centers” in 6 Months

SUMMARY

Between 2010 and 2017, Tamazari personnel helped KAMO Power and its member cooperatives stand up a practical answer to a very modern problem:

“How do we run a smarter, more resilient grid without building traditional data centers everywhere?”

The team deployed 59+ modular computing facilities across rural Oklahoma and Missouri using a mix of containerized data centers, GFRC prefabricated buildings, and repurposed retail sites, all tied into KAMO’s fiber backbone to support SCADA and grid operations. The result was a distributed, weather-hardened computing network that improved operational resilience.

CLIENT BACKGROUND

KAMO Power Electric Cooperative is a generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative serving parts of Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas—an area where reliability is regularly tested by some of the most extreme weather events in the United States. Alongside that mission, K-PowerNet (KAMO’s commercial telecom subsidiary) extends connectivity services to municipalities, schools, emergency services, and businesses. This communications infrastructure is a core pillar of regional public safety and economic stability.

CHALLENGE

KAMO and its member co-ops needed more computing power in more places. Modern grid operations (like SCADA) can’t rely on “one big room of servers” when your service territory stretches across thousands of rural miles and your substations are far apart. Traditional data centers were the obvious option, but they were also the slowest and most expensive—often taking 18–24 months to build.

On top of that, these sites had to work in some of the most disruptive weather in the country where there are tornadoes, ice storms, and extreme temperatures. So the challenge wasn’t just building infrastructure. It was creating a practical, affordable way to put the grid’s operating nerve center closer to where the work happens—without creating new single points of failure.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

• Deploy low, medium and high-impact facilities in ~6 months

• Deliver major cost savings vs. traditional data center construction

• Integrate seamlessly with KAMO’s fiber backbone

• Design for high-impact, low-mobility weather events (tornadoes, ice storms, extreme temps)

• Provide a scalable model that could grow with cooperative needs

  
  

SOLUTION

Tamazari orchestrated a programmatic rollout with three right-sized infrastructure options (because one “standard” design rarely works everywhere). The team matched each site to the most effective model:

• Containerized data centers for remote substations needing speed and minimal site work

• GFRC prefabricated buildings for durable, permanent facilities that could be deployed faster than conventional construction

• Repurposed retail conversions (e.g., former big-box spaces) for large, expandable footprints with favorable economics

  
  

Across all models, the unifying design principle was simple: build a distributed network of compute that rides on fiber and keeps operating, even when the region is getting hammered by extreme weather.

IMPLEMENTATION

We treated this like a rollout program, not a one-off build. First, we worked with each cooperative to assess sites and choose the right facility type based on speed, budget, footprint, and what the location could realistically support. Then we lined up the unglamorous-but-critical work: site prep, power, and connectivity pathways.

From there, we managed vendors and contractors across multiple territories, standardized what could be standardized, and connected every facility into KAMO’s fiber backbone so SCADA and operational data could move quickly. Finally, we built the “survive the weather” layer into the plan—environmental controls, backup power, and construction schedules that accounted for tornado and ice-storm seasons. That way, these facilities could keep serving communities when conditions are at their worst.

RESULTS

The program delivered 59+ operational facilities across a multi-state rural footprint, with an average ~6-month timeline—shrinking what would often be an 18–24 month traditional construction cycle. Costs were reduced an estimated 40–60% through the containerized and GFRC approaches, while the retail conversions achieved especially strong cost-per-square-foot economics and expansion runway. Over time, the distributed architecture proved itself in the real world. The infrastructure survived multiple tornado outbreaks and ice storms without critical failures.

LONG-TERM VALUE

This wasn’t just an infrastructure build—it was a long-duration reliability investment with a public purpose. By enabling faster, more resilient SCADA and grid operations, these facilities supported quicker fault isolation, better remote visibility, and stronger continuity of service for rural communities. What's more, because the network was designed to scale, it created a foundation for the next wave of utility transformation—distribution automation, smart metering, DER integration, and data-driven operations—without forcing every cooperative to “start over” when requirements evolve. In other words: the program didn’t just solve for the grid of 2010–2017; it positioned member co-ops for the grid they’re being asked to run today and tomorrow.

KEY LEARNINGS

• Civil engineering drives the schedule more than the modular structure itself—early site work planning is the difference between “fast” and “stuck.”

• Weather windows are a real project variable in tornado and ice-storm regions; plans need built-in flexibility and site-securement protocols.

• Standardization pays compounding dividends—repeatable specs and playbooks make every future deployment faster and smoother.

• Retail conversions can be the best economics, but not the easiest path—they demand creative problem-solving around legacy electrical, structural surprises, and zoning.

• Distributed architecture beats centralized design for resilience—when some sites get hit, operations can continue because the network was built to absorb shocks.

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