Citizens’ Petition Circulates in Response to Luther Data Center Discussion

After a packed special meeting of the Luther Board of Trustees on May 29, 2025, the regular monthly meeting this week was quieter, with no discussion regarding Beltline Energy’s proposed data center within town limits. Despite the lack of formal discussions, the topic has sparked a lively debate within the community. One trustee shared with Luther Register News that community feedback has been largely negative, with many residents expressing, “No one wants it.”

A citizens’ petition, initiated after the May 29 meeting and led by Saundra Traywick of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches, reflects this sentiment. The petition, which remains open for signatures for a few more weeks, calls for an emergency moratorium on AI data centers, Bitcoin mining, industrial wind turbines, solar complexes, and lithium battery energy storage systems (BESS) until their safety for Luther’s health, water, and air can be assured.

Traywick, a Luther resident and owner of Oklahoma’s only donkey dairy, has been vocal about the potential risks these industries pose. Luther Register News is committed to promoting open community dialogue on this issue. While Traywick’s petition highlights concerns, we recognize that there may be proponents of the data center who see potential economic benefits, such as millions of dollars in revenue for the small town of Luther, Oklahoma. We welcome all perspectives and invite proponents to share their views through an interview-style article, a guest column, or other contributions to keep the conversation balanced and vibrant. Contact us at dawnshelton@lutherregiter.news.

In the meantime, Traywick answered the following questions to explain her concerns. 

Question and Answers with Saundra Traywick

Luther Register News: What prompted you to organize this petition? Can you share the specific concerns or events that led you to call for a moratorium on these industries in Luther? 

Saundra Traywick: “We have been working to bring awareness to these issues across the State for years through our group @SaveOklahomaFarmsAndRanches. When we heard that there was a 400-acre AI data center proposed for our town, we felt we had no choice but to step in and do everything in our power to protect our community for the next generation.”

LRN: Why these specific industries? What potential risks do AI data centers, Bitcoin mining, wind turbines, solar complexes, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) pose to Luther’s citizens, health, water, and air quality? 

ST: “Each of these industries will have different negative impacts on the communities where they are sited. 

Energy Usage: For AI data centers, the energy usage (typically one AI data center uses the equivalent in power of the city of Edmond) can result in a lack of power for citizens, or an emergency situation requiring more power such as the case in Memphis, resulting in the horrific situation for the residents there.

Increased Power = Upgrades to Power Plant Needed: Increasing the power usage to accommodate a new data center of this magnitude will inevitably require upgrades to the power plant like the upgrades proposed to the power plant in Jenks, where the people will now be the ones forced to pay higher energy bills to accommodate increasing energy needed for data centers proposed in the Tulsa area. Alternatively, the new “Behind the Meter” legislation (SB 480) by Senator Grant Green will allow industries to purchase land and install thousands of acres of industrial solar complexes and industrial wind turbines in order to supplement their power supply.

Decreased Property Values: Homes in the vicinity of the data centers will lose property value due to proximity to the data center.

Cooling Servers: AI data centers and Bitcoin mining servers require cooling. There are a few different ways to do that, each of which comes with downsides. If fans are used to cool the servers, you often have noise levels (including inaudible low-frequency sound) that cause extreme stress to humans and animals, including health issues and sleep issues for those living in the vicinity, such as the case near a Bitcoin mining center outside Fort Worth:

“An alternative system to cool data centers is with enormous amounts of water. According to a study from The University of Illinois Center for Secure Water, ‘Google’s hyperscale data centers….averaged approximately 550,000 gallons (2.1 million liters) of water per day over the past year. In contrast, smaller data centers generally report much lower water usage, averaging about 18,000 gallons (68,100 liters) per day.  In the US, where the average per capita water withdrawal is 132 gallons per day, a large data center consumes water equivalent to that of 4200 persons. This makes data centers one of the top 10 of “water-consuming industrial or commercial industries.’ A Bloomberg article shows, ‘these data centers are draining critical water resources from some of the most vulnerable areas of our country.’

A company representative informed me that this particular data center would utilize non-potable water for cooling. If this is the case, how will the used wastewater be disposed of, and what contaminants will it contain? If they are using two-phase immersion cooling, will the coolant be free from not just PFAS, but other next-gen chemicals as well?

The contaminants in the massive amounts of discharged wastewater from these data centers are cause for concern.

The demand for liquid and hybrid cooling systems in data centers is expected to introduce a significant amount of contaminants into wastewater. These contaminants can include:

• Biocides (such as isothiazolinones and glutaraldehyde) can cause allergies and skin irritation.
• Corrosion Inhibitors (like phosphates and molybdates) contribute to eutrophication and negatively affect marine life.
• Heavy Metals (including zinc, copper, and chromium) are carcinogenic and can harm the skin, respiratory system, and kidneys.
• Total Dissolved Solids (consisting of common dissolved minerals and salts) may result in kidney stones and organ stress.

Even with wastewater treatment plants in place, the additional load caused by these contaminants can harm aquatic life and biodiversity in watersheds.

These are questions that all of us who are dependent on the Garber Wellington Aquifer for our water supply need to be asking, including the residents and Trustees of the town of Luther and those downstream.”

LRN: Why should Luther residents care? In one or two sentences, why is this moratorium urgent for our town’s future?

ST: “This data center will not increase the quality of life for residents of Luther. Oklahoma lacks proper regulations and safety precautions to ensure that this is done safely and responsibly. The State has failed to protect us from the potential drawbacks of these data centers. It is up to the people to educate themselves and their neighbors, and the Town Trustees to ensure that the people are protected.

LRN: Have you received any responses to the petition?

ST: Those signing the petition have voiced their concerns about losing their peaceful, rural way of life, as well as concerns about the impacts to the health, safety, water, and environment that citizens depend on. Some have said they will move if this data center proceeds. 

LRN: What’s next for the petition? Are there specific actions or outcomes you’re hoping for, such as a public hearing or new town regulations?

ST: “Since many in the Luther area are still unaware of the proposed Data Center, we will be leaving the petition open for a few more weeks to garner more citizen input before presenting it to the Trustees. We are encouraging concerned citizens to print the petition and take it to their neighbors as well, then add their signatures to the petition online.”

LRN: You said folks outside of Luther Town limits have signed? While they are not constituents of the town trustees of Luther, many come from rural places around Oklahoma. Why do you think they are concerned?

ST: “Oklahoma is one of 8 states selected by the Federal Government to be homes for AI Data centers. Many Oklahomans in rural areas are now realizing that, while this data center is proposed for Luther, the next one could be next door to their home or community. By standing with the people of Luther, they are sending a clear message to the leaders of our state: this is not the future we want for rural Oklahoma, and we will all come together to defend our farms and future.

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If you are interested in the petition, you can find the link here. It is unknown when the Beltline Energy data center proposal will be presented again before the town’s governing board.