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Cherokee Nation
Posted: Aug 05, 2026 2:44 PMUpdated: Aug 05, 2026 2:44 PM
Cherokee Nation Reviews Data Center Policy Following Task Force Report
Nathan Thompson
The Cherokee Nation has completed a task force report examining the potential impacts of hyperscale data centers across the tribe's reservation and will prohibit the projects on tribally owned and trust lands while requiring extensive consultation before supporting development elsewhere within the reservation.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced the policy Wednesday after the Principal Chief's Data Center Task Force released findings from several months of research, surveys and community outreach on the economic, environmental and cultural effects of large-scale data centers.
The report concludes that hyperscale data centers pose significant concerns related to energy and water consumption, air quality, infrastructure, noise and light pollution, and the protection of cultural resources. It also says the effects vary by project and should be evaluated individually.
"It’s clear that our Cherokee Nation Administration, Council, and citizens have serious concerns about the construction of hyperscale data centers on our tribal lands, which affect our resources and cultural lifeways," Hoskin said in a statement. "Our primary responsibility is to protect our citizens and tribal communities from these threats, so we will not support any hyperscale data centers on our reservation without proper consultation."
Under the new policy, the Cherokee Nation will ban hyperscale data center development on tribally owned and trust lands. Tribal officials said the policy is intended to ensure Cherokee Nation property is managed in accordance with community values by emphasizing environmental stewardship and protection of natural resources.
The task force found that a large majority of Cherokee Nation citizens surveyed oppose hyperscale data centers within the reservation, citing environmental and community concerns.
The report also found that data center development is expanding rapidly across Oklahoma but that no comprehensive system exists for tracking proposed or planned facilities because there is no established statewide regulatory process governing their development.
While the tribe is prohibiting such projects on its own lands, Hoskin said the Cherokee Nation also will not support hyperscale data center development on non-tribally owned land within the reservation unless developers engage in what the tribe describes as robust consultation.
According to the report, that consultation should begin early in the planning process, address potential impacts on cultural and natural resources, and include meaningful community engagement throughout a project's lifecycle.
The task force recommended creating a permanent advisory committee to evaluate future proposals, participate in consultations with developers and advise the principal chief as new projects emerge.
The task force included tribal leaders, subject matter experts and community advisers who studied the issue over several months before issuing the report this week.
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