Concho, OK – Citizens of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes have approved a three-year moratorium on data center construction on tribal lands.

The measure was approved during the Tribes' annual Tribal Council meeting Saturday in Concho, near El Reno. Of 351 votes cast, 261 were in favor of the moratorium and 83 were opposed.

The moratorium will remain in effect for three years, giving tribal leaders and citizens additional time to study the potential impacts of large data center projects. The resolution calls for the moratorium to continue through October 2029.

Concerns raised ahead of the vote included the amount of water required by data centers, tribal water rights, drought conditions and possible effects on the environment, farmland and buffalo. Supporters also called for additional study of the potential economic impacts and greater transparency surrounding proposed projects.

The moratorium applies to data center development on Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal lands while the Tribes consider potential legislation and protections related to future projects.

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