
Preliminary and unprecedented were the words used repeatedly as Atlanta-based Beltline Energy Managing Partner Ryan Sanders addressed the Luther Town Board of Trustees and a standing-room-only crowd on May 29, 2025.
The company’s proposed data center—slated for an already identified 400-acre parcel within town limits near the OGE Red Bud Power Plant—is, for now, little more than an early-stage concept, years away from realization, he said. The unprecedented part? Beltline rarely shares plans this early in the process.
At the request of Luther Mayor Terry Arps, Sanders and Beltline Development Director Charles Kontz flew from Georgia to Oklahoma to present their vision.
“When the city of Luther suggested that we do this, we agreed, and we thought it was a great idea because it kind of resets how these things are typically done, right? Where you’re off behind closed doors, working with leadership. And then you come to a public hearing where everything is already fully baked, and it’s just being kind of rolled out as quickly as possible. And that can lead to some concerns within the community. So this is an opportunity to do things a little differently.”
Sanders continued, “It was clear that the city of Luther appreciates transparency, and we felt like all parties benefited from engaging early. We have not made any permanent commitments to this project in Luther. We don’t know that it’s going to be located here. We’re exploring it.”
Skepticism Meets Opportunity
More than 30 residents and Luther neighbors showed up armed with questions, concerns, and even calls for the board to ban AI data centers—along with renewable energy projects like solar and wind—within town limits.
Mayor Arps repeatedly reminded them to direct their questions to him after the presentation, rather than Sanders. “You may be disappointed because you may not get everything you want tonight because everything you want hasn’t been yet established. And I don’t want anybody to take an idea or a guess and take it as a statement of truth.” He promised multiple public hearings if the project progresses, where robust discussion and questions from the community would be welcome.
When those who signed up had their turn to speak, their comments ranged from practical to passionate:
- “In our research, the nighttime light halo is dramatic.”
- “Will local companies provide the construction work?”
- “I just want to make sure that you guys are not counting on an unlimited water supply because we just don’t have it.”
- “Who’s prepared to respond to the eventual lithium battery fire that’s going to happen at the data center? I have deep respect for our local (volunteer) firefighters, but they are simply not equipped or trained to handle a massive lithium-ion battery blaze.”
- “Carpetbaggers have been coming to Luther for decades, making empty promises and taking our land out of order.”
- “The reason that we all have to drive an hour to go anywhere to do good shopping or get good infrastructure is because this is what we want. We want peace, we want quiet.”
- “It’s all about the money.”
- “Protect our town, protect our people because they are our biggest resource—and so is our water supply.”
The Data Center Boom
The Trump Administration’s push to expand AI data centers—especially in states like Oklahoma—has ignited a new industrial data center rush. Surging demand for Large Language Models (human-like AI) and digital storage (from personal photos to Netflix passwords) has made these facilities a national security priority, according to Sanders.
Data centers house endless rows of servers that run nonstop and require water for cooling systems. This process consumes water and electricity, outpacing most other industries tapping into the existing electrical grid. A report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) indicates that ratepayers, rather than utility companies, in southeastern states are covering the expenses for proposed electrical infrastructure and expansion through higher electricity bills.
Beltline, primarily a “renewable energy developer specializing in delivering supply-side, Utility Scale Solar (USS) solutions,” is branching into data centers as an extension of its business model. However, Sanders clarified that the Luther proposal currently has “no renewable energy component to it and there’s no energy generation.”
The Concerns—and Promises
Sanders acknowledged the top public worries: strain on the electric grid, water overuse, and noise pollution.
“We’re going to decouple the residential and retail customers from the power and the water, and the noise is going to be manageable,” he said. “The design and the intent are to make it so that the HVAC noise is inaudible from the boundary. There certainly could be some noise, but it’s less than a road.”
He assured residents, “If we’re using energy, if we’re using water, that’s not competing with you as a residential customer.”
“Being in close proximity to the power generation (at Red Bud) allows us to receive the energy without an exorbitant amount of transmission infrastructure necessary to bring that energy to the plant. We like the City of Luther because there’s a strong workforce and it’s a business-friendly community.”
The Potential Payoff
For Luther, Arps and Sanders said the project could mean financial independence for the small municipality.
“It’s not hyperbole to say that this would give the city of Luther the autonomy to make whatever decisions are best suited to the community,” Sanders said—“to the tune of millions of dollars.”
He explained that data centers require massive upfront investment in construction and local services, followed by ongoing franchise fees. OGE’s payments to Luther alone could grow by “millions and millions of dollars annually,” Sanders said.
Mayor Arps’ Vision
Arps framed the proposal in personal terms.
“When I first started here, sitting in the chair like you are listening to the board, and then got the opportunity to be a part of the board, I thought, ‘you know what, I’d like to be in a position where I can help Luther become three things: safe, prosperous, and pleasant.’”
For example, he said the fire chief has ideas to increase the availability and response time throughout his district, which is much larger than the Town of Luther, but which Arps still considers to be Luther.
“The only thing that hinders him is the budget.
“And therefore when I look at a business that’s clean, produces no pollution, very limited noise involved that will will go ahead and recognize or will deal with our OGE experts and with other people concerning water use, so on and so forth to make sure that there’s no adverse impact and then address that to the public so that they can address their concerns, the economic impact for Luther would be incredible.”
The Bigger Picture
After Sanders’ presentation, unfortunately, most residents left as the board began discussing Luther’s proposed flat budget of $1.4 million for the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2025. The discussion highlighted the town’s efficient but no-frills operation. Board members acknowledged the rising costs associated with insurance, police pensions, and other regular services. At the same time, they noted that revenue collections from sales and use taxes, permits, franchise fees, fines, and other sources are expected to remain roughly the same as they were in the current year.
The data center question, if it progresses, will present a pivotal choice for Luther: to embrace a potential economic lifeline or safeguard its identity and protect its resources. Valid concerns—such as water scarcity, higher electricity costs, noise, and light pollution—clash with the town’s potential to increase revenue for public safety (including police and fire services), zoning and planning, parks, and other essential services.
As Mayor Arps put it: “I don’t want Luther to become a ghost town for lack of economic development. And I don’t want Edmond to come in here and force us to be something we don’t want to be.”
Whether through data centers, Route 66 tourism, or increased support for existing small businesses, Luther’s future demands tough decisions and careful planning.
View the video of the Beltline Presentation. Video courtesy of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches’ live social media feed of the meeting.
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They’re not “exploring.” They’re encroaching.
400 acres of Oklahoma prairie.
Endangered species. Strained water.
Insufficient fire protection.
And they call it “clean”?
This isn’t economic development.
It’s a digital strip mine.
Luther is not for sale.
We are 30+ families and counting.
We see everything. We forget nothing.
And we’re just getting started.
https://luther.watch
️ Tip us: luther.watch@protonmail.com (construction evidence, wildlife photos, proof of corruption, etc)
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