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Cherokee Nation bans hyperscale data centers on tribal lands and mandates prior consultation
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The Cherokee Nation, representing more than 475,000 citizens, has prohibited hyperscale data center construction on its tribally owned and trust lands and will not support any such projects on non-tribal land within the reservation without early consultation.
Engineers planning new data center sites must now factor in tribal approval when targeting locations inside the Cherokee reservation, adding a stakeholder and potential delay to the siting process. Existing facilities on non-tribal parcels, such as Google's Pryor campus, remain operational, but any expansion or new build will require tribal consultation, affecting project timelines and compliance costs.
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The ban applies to all hyperscale data center development on Cherokee Nation-owned and trust lands.
A task-force survey found 64% of 1,593 respondents opposed such projects, citing energy, water, air quality, noise, and cultural resource concerns.
The tribe will not support data center projects on non-tribal land within the reservation without early consultation, though existing non-tribal sites continue operating.
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