TULSA, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. announced the creation of a data center task force, with the goal of informing their citizens about the uncertainty surrounding facilities coming to the area.
"If there's ever a time for sort of a balanced analysis and discussion, certainly on data centers, that's what we want to bring to the larger discussion people are having," Hoskin, Jr. said.
WATCH: Cherokee Nation creates data center task force
The nine-person task force aims to gather information that Chief Hoskin, Jr. says people in the Cherokee Nation want most, such as the likelihood of potential rate increases, environmental impacts, water usage, and more.
"We want to be armed with not just the basic information about what a data center is, and what power it consumes, and what impact it has on the environment, but what we can do to be part of the conversation," Chief Hoskin, Jr. said. "I think our citizens want to be heard, and this is one way they will be heard."
Here at 2 News, we've listened to people in communities across Green Country, some voicing their concerns about centers going up in their backyards, like Project Clydesdale in Owasso and the proposed center in Claremore.
For Chief Hoskin, Jr. it's about being a resource to the Cherokee nation, and the region in general.
"We want to not just know more, we want to be in a position to do something positive," Chief Hoskin, Jr. said. "And I think we can."
President Trump spoke about data centers in his State of the Union, saying he has a plan to lower rates once facilities go up.
You can find all of our data center coverage in a special section of the 2 News website.
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