TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa City Councilors voted to approve a moratorium on data centers.
The goal of the moratorium is to give the city more time to evaluate the impact of these projects, including noise and odors, as well as water and energy usage, and potentially make changes to the zoning code.
Nearly two dozen people attended Wednesday night's city council meeting to express their support for postponing data center development.
It's a topic that has captivated all of Green Country. Those in Pawhuska are sharing their concerns about a proposed data center, and some in Sand Springs are angry that the city has approved one there.
During Tulsa's City Council meeting, councilors discussed two major changes to the moratorium language for about half an hour.
First, the moratorium will last through the end of the year, ending at the latest on Dec. 31. The pause will last about 270 days, though it could be completed even earlier. At first, the moratorium was proposed for a full 365 days.
"If we can just get our zoning code to a place where we feel like it is balanced, then I think it’s wise to give us hopefully less than 365 days, but at least the time experts need to inform us," Tulsa City Councilor Lori Decter Wright said.
Second, phase two of Project Anthem is exempt from the moratorium, along with phase one. Project Anthem is a large data center under construction in East Tulsa.
Just last week, 2 News Oklahoma reported that phase two of Project Anthem is going through the rezoning process right now, with an expected vote with the Planning Commission on April 1.
"We are business-friendly. We want industry here. We want to diversify. We know we need to, but to do it in a smart, balanced way is really pragmatic," Decter Wright said.
The approved moratorium will also include reports from the planning office every 60 days as they study the issue.
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