Piedmont residents push back against data center project ahead of city council vote
Residents in Piedmont, Oklahoma, are actively pushing back against Cloverleaf Infrastructure's proposed "Project Open Sky" data center ahead of an upcoming City Council vote. They are gathering signatures for petitions to introduce a temporary moratorium and a complete ban on data centers, citing concerns about noise and water usage. The petitions aim to allow citizens to vote on the project's approval after impact studies.
Residents of Piedmont, Oklahoma, are intensifying their efforts to oppose a proposed data center project, identified as "Project Open Sky" by Cloverleaf Infrastructure, as a City Council vote looms next week. Ali Taylor, representing a local group, highlighted their organized efforts through three citizen initiative petitions designed to block or regulate data centers.
The first petition seeks a temporary moratorium to allow for comprehensive studies. The second proposes a complete ban on data centers, establishing specific sound level standards that, if exceeded, would prohibit development. The third petition calls for citizen approval of any data center project based on the results of impact studies, with the goal of gathering 172 legitimate signatures to put the question on a ballot for voters to decide.
Key concerns among residents, particularly in this agricultural community, revolve around water usage, with locals emphasizing the need for water for life and livestock over industrial use. Cloverleaf Infrastructure explained that Piedmont is an ideal location due to its strong power grid, planning for a campus with multiple data center buildings, and assured the use of a closed-loop cooling system to minimize water consumption. The company also highlighted the potential for tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, which could fund needed infrastructure upgrades for the community.
The Piedmont City Council is scheduled to vote on the project on Monday.