A packed room of residents questioned advocates, public servants and experts during a more than three hour Tulsa County Commissioners meeting Wednesday, where officials discussed rezoning unincorporated land near Owasso from agricultural to light industrial use.
The crowd, unified in opposition to the proposed data center, included people of all ages and political leanings — from minors to retirees, and from right-wing homesteaders to left-leaning professionals.
Kennedy Garza, a self-described blue collar worker, voiced skepticism about the promised benefits of the project.
"I am all for economic growth. I mean, I'm not a college graduate. I don't have a degree. My whole family's in blue collar work. I'm all for supporting local jobs," Garza said. "We've seen all the benefits of this. We're not getting a fair deal for our jobs."
Kelsey Cooper, a Cherokee Nation citizen with a graduate degree in Indigenous people’s law, drew attention during the public comment period when County Commissioner Lonnie Sims asked if she had a question.
"My question is, is it called Project Clydesdale because it's full of horse crap? Thank you," she said, receiving loud reactions from the crowd.
Though many speakers opposed the project, some union members spoke in favor of it, emphasizing the five years of construction work it would bring for local labor.
The developer, Beale Infrastructure, estimates the data center could generate more than $3 billion in economic development.
Lou Reynolds, attorney for Beale Infrastructure, previously told the Tulsa World that the center could eventually be operated by Microsoft, Apple, Google or Meta. The project, estimated to cost over $100 million, would be built in phases and rely on city utilities. It may also qualify for public incentives.
Still, local residents raised a wide range of concerns, with water quality and supply among the top issues.
Teresa Tosh, director of inspections and floodplain administrator for the county, said there will be regular water testing for contaminants, though not continuous monitoring for heavy metals.
“They will have monitoring requirements in their permits. It's generally not continuous monitoring for heavy metals, but it is on a routine basis,” Tosh said. “The city of Tulsa also has inspection authority, so that we can do unscheduled inspections.”
Lauren Hervey, a representative for Beale Infrastructure, said the center will mostly use water from the city and not from the rural water district.
“It does not have an impact on the surrounding community’s water pressure, and they’re not using the same source of water as our neighbors,” she said.
The project will use an open-loop water system — a method involving evaporative cooling, similar to systems used in downtown buildings, hospitals and universities — which also raised concerns among attendees.
Additional issues voiced at the meeting included impacts on wildlife, the power grid and questions about how many permanent jobs the center will ultimately provide.
Despite the overwhelming opposition from residents, the Tulsa County Commissioners voted unanimously, 3–0, to approve the zoning change.
