As data center companies continue to move into Oklahoma, many across the state have questions. But at a Muskogee town hall last week, one resident says officials won't answer them.
More than 50 residents of Muskogee sang a classic patriotic song to start off the city’s first data center town hall. The meeting was organized by concerned community members in tandem with local Native advocacy groups like Honor the Earth.
Organizers said they want to inform Muskogee residents in the wake of Oklahoma’s data center boom and answer questions local officials won’t.
Honor the Earth Volunteer Coordinator Patricia Kaseca said she and a fellow volunteer have been to Muskogee city hall to ask questions, and…
“We’re not getting clear answers" said Kaseca. "We ask direct questions; they say they'll get back to us. They’ll tell us to go to the city clerk's office and sign public information, and I have been trying to get papers from public information for three weeks now.”
City of Muskogee representative Judy Villalobos said only one open records request has not been fulfilled. A required legal review has caused the request to sit much longer than usual. As for city officials not answering direct questions, Villalobos said they are always willing to speak to citizens at city hall and address any concerns they may have.
Kaseca never expected to lead an informational forum about data centers, but she is pleased by the turn out. At the start, she led a chant to break the ice with the audience.
“If our elected officials don’t listen to us, we are going to-“
“Push back.”
“If AI comes to take our land, we’re gonna-“
“Push back.”
“When it comes time to vote, we’re going to-“
“Push back.”
Kaseca is a Muscogee Creek Nation citizen and resident of the city of Muskogee. She said the town hall is meant to arm residents with the right information about the data centers being built near them. To her, apathy and a lack of information are what prevents her neighbors from asking more from city officials.
“We want the blinders to come off their eyes so that they can see really what we’re aiming for and that’s to make a better quality of life,” said Kaseca.
Late last year, companies announced three data center projects for Muskogee County. Two are from Google in Summit and Council Hill. Another from Core Scientific plans to expand a previous bitcoin mining site on the southwest side of Muskogee to an AI mega-campus. It will be the state’s largest AI hub operating at 1.5 gigawatts of power.
At the town hall, attendees learned about current laws such as the Rate Payer Protection Act, examples of already established data centers in the state and elsewhere, and strategies they can try if they wish to do more.
Organizers plan to return to Muskogee to teach how to formally request information from their city officials and make effective public comments.
