Tale of 3 cities and data centers

  • April 9, 2026

When it comes to data centers, different stories exist on experiences of residents and in some cases, city officials. But one topic leads many discussions—-transparency, or the lack thereof.

In Tulsa, where Project Anthem is under construction on a 340-acre site near East 11th Street and the Creek Turnpike, council member Laura Bellis has doubts.

“We have to wonder if this is worth it,” she commented in an interview with Fox 23 News about the relatively small number of jobs compared to the project’s resource demands.

She too has heard the concerns expressed by critics and opponents of data centers who fear their utility bills will only increase because of the power needed by the massive AI operations.

“Yes, and we already see that they are,” Bellis said when asked if utility rates could increase. “The cost burden is being shared by all of us.”

Public Service Company confirmed in a statement to Fox 23 that data centers play part of the role in the utility’s request for higher electrical rates. As OK Energy Today has reported, PSO explained to Corporation Commissioners last year that it anticipated the need for higher rates to finance expanded electrical power generation.

Councilor Bellis made one other admission to Fox 23. She said when Project Anthem was approved in 2023, she and others on the city council had limited information about the impact of the large project.

“We were kind of flying a little bit blind.”

What one expert says about data center NDAs

As some of the cities dealt with proposed data center projects, city leaders were asked by the developers to sign Non Disclosure Agreements or NDAs.
In Yukon one such NDA was required by Beltline Energy, a a firm still seeking approval for a proposed data center. While the city leaders were forbidden from disclosing of the plans, one expert when it comes to public records, contends the NDA contained a small but critical loophole. It did not forbid the release of information sought through use of the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
It’s what Brett S. Sharp, Director of the master of Public Administration program at the University of Central Oklahoma, recently told the Yukon Progress. Sharp reviewed Yukon’s NDA and found the “broad language” did not contain an exemption to recognize requests from the public using the Open Records Act.
The newspaper reported, “Nowhere in the document is the Open Record Act mentioned.”
“This is a notable omission and raises questions about how transparency obligations will be handled in practice,” Sharp told the Progress. He also said the agreement was largely written by Beltline and not by the city of Yukon and relied on Georgia law, not the city of Yukon.
Residents angered over being surprised by the sudden possibility of the project voiced complaints that the city had signed the Non Disclosure Agreement.
“The key issue is not the existence of the NDA itself, but whether it is used narrowly to protect legitimate proprietary information or more broadly in ways that could delay public insight into decisions that ultimately involve public resources and community impact,” said Sharp in his assessment for the Progress.
One city official confirmed to the newspaper that Beltline drafted the agreement. City Attorney Roger Rinehart said he urged the City Manager at the time and city staff to include an exemption for open records requests, but it was not part of the final NDA signed by city leaders.

Another city struggles with lack of transparency

Transparency is a major topic in El Dorado, Kansas where the city residents gathered to learn this week of a proposed data center. It’s what the residents who gathered for the meeting asked of their elected officials.

When the residents heard of the data center possibility about 10 days earlier, some quickly formed the group, “Protect the Heartland.”

“‘Protect the Heartland’ is a small group, it’s a grassroots movement that got started literally a week and a half ago,” Rachel Harder told KWCH TV News. “Someone spread the news that our planning and zoning committee was going to push some zoning laws through to allow data centers and large facilities to come to our area.”

Another member of Protect the Heartland, Amy Gardner complained about the difficulty of obtaining information on the project.

“Open records requests in Kansas are not only open for information, but also open in terms of the amount they can charge you,” Gardner said.

One organization called  El Dorado Inc. decided to make information available to the public and created its own website, El Dorado Data Center Impact.

It said the website was created to support informed public dialogue about potential data center development in El Dorado and Butler County.

What This Site Is Not

✕ Not affiliated with any developer. This resource is created by El Dorado Inc., not by a data center developer.

✕ Not a government website. While we use publicly available information, this is not an official government resource.

Our Purpose

Major community decisions work best when residents have access to clear, balanced information. This website was created to:

  • Explain complex topics in plain language
  • Present both opportunities and concerns honestly
  • Provide a shared reference for community conversations
  • Acknowledge uncertainty and update as new information emerges

What This Site Is Not

✕ Not affiliated with any developer. This resource is created by El Dorado Inc., not by a data center developer.

✕ Not a government website. While we use publicly available information, this is not an official government resource.

 

Jerry Bohnen