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Developers eye Native nations, tribal communities for new data center projects
Tribes say developers are targeting less regulated lands, while Native nations weigh economic opportunity against water use and environmental strain.
- The Cherokee Nation, Seminole Nation, and Kickapoo Tribe have recently enacted bans or moratoriums on data center development, as tribal nations increasingly block projects on their lands citing sovereignty and resource concerns.
- Developers target tribal land as a "regulatory dream" because sovereign nations operate outside state or local laws, said Ashley Leitka, director of the department of sovereignty and self-determination at Honor the Earth. These areas remain undeveloped due to historical treaties.
- Residents and the LeChee Chapter oppose a planned 1 gigawatt data center near Horseshoe Bend, where Huntley LLC purchased a 500-acre parcel for $7 million. "Water is precious to us," said Irene Whitekiller, president of the LeChee Chapter.
- Some tribes view data centers as economic drivers, with the Department and Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs offering technical and financial support. Eric Mahroum, director, noted these projects can provide community jobs and necessary infrastructure.
- Tribal leaders express concern that future federal executive orders could weaken land protections. Irene Whitekiller noted that President Donald Trump's past revisions to monument boundaries to "put to a higher-priority use" suggest federal designations may not guarantee long-term security.
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Developers eye Native nations, tribal communities for new data center projects • Maine Morning Star
Officials in Page, Arizona, a small city near the Glen Canyon Dam, passed a land sale agreement last fall that establishes a framework for future construction of a data center. The sale of the 500-acre parcel about a mile away from the Colorado River’s Horseshoe Bend — one of the most visited natural landmarks in the Glen Canyon […]
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Total News Sources17
Leaning Left15Leaning Right0Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Left
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources lean Left
100% Left
L 100%
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