Opponents of a proposed data center in Piedmont, Oklahoma, are trying to shift the matter from city officials to the broader electorate by gathering signatures for a ballot measure.
Rather than relying solely on public comments, residents are using the petition process to give voters the final say, according to KOCO.
Here's what to know
Opposition to Cloverleaf Infrastructure's proposed "Project Open Sky" has taken the form of three citizen initiative petitions.
Organizers are seeking 172 valid signatures, the number needed to put the issue before voters.
"The people really want this to be their vote," Ali Taylor, a Piedmont resident involved with a group trying to keep data centers out of the area, told KOCO.
The petitions target the proposal in different ways. One would impose a temporary moratorium while studies are completed, another would bar facilities that exceed set noise limits, and a third would require voter approval after impact studies are completed.
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"No matter what, the citizens have to approve that. And they're not forever," Taylor said of the third option.
More background
Data centers have become a flashpoint in many parts of the country because they sit at the center of the AI boom.
As more companies build out artificial intelligence tools, they need more computing power, which means more warehouse-like facilities packed with servers and cooling equipment. That creates a direct channel between AI and the energy grid.
While AI can help improve forecasting, balance electricity demand, and optimize clean energy systems, the infrastructure behind it also puts heavy demands on power and water supplies.
In many places, that has raised concerns about higher utility costs, strain on local resources, security risks, and other unintended impacts.
In Piedmont, the issue drawing particular scrutiny is water, especially in a community that views itself as agricultural rather than industrial.
"We shouldn't be giving water to something else when we need water for life and we need water for our livestock — we are an agricultural town, not an industrial town," Taylor told KOCO.
Cloverleaf Infrastructure CEO David Berry pushed back on that concern, saying the data center would operate with a closed-loop system.
"We don't continuously run new water through the data center; we use a closed-loop system — like an air conditioner, you keep things cool without constantly pouring water in the system," Berry countered.
Generally, a closed-loop system can cut water use by up to 70% over a system that does not use a closed loop, but it does not mean the facility takes in all of its water needs one time and never replenishes. It means the facility is able to use the water much more than one pass-through but will still need periodic filling, maintaining, and flushing.
What's being done?
The petition drive is intended to do more than register opposition. Residents are seeking a formal mechanism to pause development, conduct a study, set noise limits, or require public approval.
Berry argued that Piedmont is a strong fit for the project because of its power infrastructure.
"You want to connect somewhere where the grid is already strong, so you don't have to totally rebuild the transmission network or lines," he explained, adding that the development would span multiple buildings.
"There would be more than one data center building, so it's correct to think of it as a campus."
For supporters, one of the biggest selling points of data centers is the tax base they would allegedly create, especially in smaller communities looking to fund services and infrastructure.
"Sometimes there's the unpleasant situation of either raising taxes or not providing infrastructure and services that residents want. And data centers are a huge help in that regard, because they are paying in tens of millions of dollars in taxes," Berry claimed.
"There's a moratorium with studies, and it'll go for so long," Taylor said of two of the petition's aims. "Prohibition completely. We've laid out specific standards that anything above these levels is a no-go."
Where can I learn more?
Piedmont's debate is part of a fight over who gets to govern AI development at the local level.
Similar disputes in Ohio and Texas have focused on public input, water use, electricity demand, and whether developers should shoulder more of the costs that come with fast-growing data center projects.
• In Ohio, gas plants are being approved for AI data centers before neighbors weigh in.
• In rural Texas, Governor Abbott says developers must bring their own power and water or leave.
• Also in Texas, residents warned that data centers could drain water and drive up power bills.
Those fights help explain why Piedmont residents want tighter guardrails before any project moves forward. Questions about water, power, and local control keep coming up in communities far beyond Oklahoma.
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