Are Data Centers Coming to Tribal Lands in Oklahoma?

Starting this year, big tech companies are trying to build AI data centers on Native American reservation land in Oklahoma. There is less regulation on the reservation, allowing tech companies to build data centers to power the booming AI industry more quickly.

Data centers are essential to AI and cloud computing. As the AI industry surges, companies need more space and memory to store digital data in data centers. Companies are building more and more data centers to match AI’s growth, and they will continue to need more space for the infrastructure.

Native American reservations have fewer regulations and more lenient laws for building massive data centers compared to other locations. The tribal councils enact laws which are not as strict as the state’s laws. This makes it easier for companies to construct data centers to support AI demand immediately.

Native American tribes will get money in exchange for the land they give to the company, and the company can rapidly go from having land to having a working data center. Also, while developing land for the data center, electricity will become more accessible as data centers consume a tremendous amount of electricity. This causes them to build towers to transmit electricity to the whole city. Jobs are also a result of data centers. Although specialized people will be needed for the equipment, jobs will be created for residents to build hotels or restaurants for the workers coming to maintain equipment in the data center.

On the other hand, data centers need water to cool down, stressing natural resources even further as Oklahoma is in a mild drought right now. Carbon emissions are produced, increasing air pollution. Also, the ethical aspect in having companies take advantage of the loose laws to build data centers and use Native American land that has already been taken advantage of decades ago is controversial.

It remains to be seen whether big tech companies will actually build data centers on tribal land in Oklahoma.

Sources: https://app.letterly.io/api/letterly/documents/view?url=letterly%2Fdocuments%2Flink%2F82590