Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe vote to halt data center construction for 3 years
Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal citizens voted 261-83 to impose a three-year moratorium on data center construction on tribal lands near Concho, Oklahoma. Supporters cited water use, environmental impacts, economic concerns and a lack of transparency, while Governor Wassanna argued that closed-loop cooling could substantially reduce water consumption.
Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal citizens approved a resolution halting data center construction on tribal lands until October 2029. The vote followed concerns that a potential facility could consume as much as 300,000 gallons of water per day, affect buffalo herds and surrounding farms, increase pressure on water resources and impose costs on the electrical grid.
Supporters, including tribal member Kyle Spotted Horse, called for water-rights adjudication, full transparency and an environmental impact study before development proceeds. Governor Wassanna supported the potential economic benefits of a data center and said newer closed-loop cooling systems would use little water, but 261 of the 351 voters supported the moratorium, with 83 opposed and seven abstentions.