Tulsa’s data center moratorium expires this year. Here’s what might be next.
Tulsa's city council issued a moratorium on new data center development, set to expire on December 31, following community concerns about Meta's Project Anthem. The Tulsa Planning Office is now considering significant zoning code changes, including defining data centers by square footage and increasing setback requirements, before the moratorium ends. The council will review final recommendations and may extend the moratorium if needed.
The Tulsa City Council enacted a moratorium on new data center development on March 25, which is scheduled to expire on December 31. This action followed significant community backlash and concerns regarding the utility usage and environmental impacts of hyperscale facilities, specifically citing Meta's $1 billion, 340-acre Project Anthem in east Tulsa as a catalyst. The moratorium's purpose is to allow the Tulsa Planning Office to evaluate and propose necessary changes to the city's zoning code before processing new applications.
The planning office's initial report suggests reclassifying data centers based on square footage into small, medium, and large categories, which would dictate permitted industrial zones. It also proposes increasing setback requirements from 250 feet to 1,500 feet for larger facilities. District 4 Councilor Laura Bellis, who spearheaded the moratorium, emphasized the need for zoning codes to catch up with technology and consider factors like water and electricity consumption. Councilors Anthony Archie and Christian Bengel also weighed in, with Archie advocating for case-by-case evaluations and Bengel expressing skepticism about targeting specific industries and wanting to observe Project Anthem's effects first.
The planning office is expected to release further reports in August and October, with final zoning recommendations due to the full council in November for review. The council retains the option to adopt these recommendations or extend the moratorium. Neighboring Broken Arrow has also implemented its own moratorium and formed a committee to study data center impacts and recommend zoning regulations, highlighting a regional trend in addressing data center growth.