Claremore Residents Protest Project Mustang Data Center

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Claremore city officials have been aware of Project Mustang, a proposed data center, for several months, but the local community only recently learned about the initiative. This revelation has sparked concern among residents who feel that the project was kept secret and not communicated openly.

Kelly Boegemann, a resident deeply concerned about the expansion of data centers in Rogers County, has taken action by starting an online petition to prevent such projects from entering the area. She expressed her frustration with the lack of transparency, stating, "You’re not a good community partner by surprising everybody."

Boegemann shared her concerns about what she has seen in other counties and communities, emphasizing that she does not want similar issues to arise in Claremore. Her actions reflect a growing sentiment among locals who are wary of the potential impacts of large-scale industrial projects.

Project Mustang is being led by Beale, the same company responsible for Project Atlas in Coweta, which faced significant public opposition. Payton Pepin, a Claremore resident running for state senate, highlighted the frustrations of many in the community. He noted, "Citizens all around Oklahoma have said bluntly that we don’t want these data centers here. There’ve been protests, we’ve told elected officials over and over and over again, and it all comes down to money. They’re not listening to us, and that’s the problem."

Pepin added that he feels the project was not handled in good faith, with many initiatives kept confidential. He believes that the community is being treated unfairly, saying, "We feel like this was not done in good faith, a lot of these have not been done in good faith, they’ve kept them secret, and we feel like they’ve tried to rip us off."

The proposed data center would be located at the Claremore Industrial Park, with the first phase expected to be completed by 2028. The city released a statement highlighting its commitment to advancing industrial projects while safeguarding public interests and supporting long-term community sustainability. The statement read, “The City, in partnership with Claremore Economic Development, has an established history of advancing industrial projects in a manner that safeguards public interests and supports long-term community sustainability.”

Lane Brown, who is running for District 1 Rogers County commissioner, expressed his opposition to the project. He stated, "I’m against it." Brown criticized the lack of openness, saying, "If it was truly economic development, we’d be open and transparent about this, we’d be like, 'Hey, let’s do this, this is good for the community,' but it’s not. They’re secretly doing this stuff."

This new controversy over data centers echoes previous concerns raised by residents, who continue to voice their opposition to such developments. Pepin emphasized the community's stance, saying, "I guess my point is, and what I’d really like the data centers to know is that we don’t want you here, please don’t come."

Full Statement from City of Claremore

The City of Claremore and Claremore Economic Development (CED) have adopted a long-term, strategic approach to industrial planning. They recognize that large-scale infrastructure projects require extensive planning, coordination, and foresight. Since 2013, CED has strategically acquired land in and around the Claremore Industrial Park to enable long-term planning, attract top employers, and ensure projects align with zoning, land-use, and fiscal standards.

Over the past several months, the City and CED have been engaged in discussions regarding a potential large-scale economic development project, known as Project Mustang, within the Claremore Industrial Park. As with all industrial projects, rigorous site due diligence is required to determine feasibility before any commitments are made. As this due diligence phase nears completion, the project would move toward consideration of a Tax Increment District (TID) process prior to any land closing.

The proposed project would be located on land already zoned for industrial use and would not increase existing local tax rates or utility rates. As an air-cooled facility, it would have limited impact on Claremore’s water supply, and all required initial infrastructure upgrades would be paid for by the developer. The City and CED have been informed that the project owner/developer and end-user are domestically owned and publicly traded companies.

The City, in partnership with Claremore Economic Development, has an established history of advancing industrial projects in a manner that safeguards public interests and supports long-term community sustainability,” said John Feary, Claremore City Manager. “All projects are governed by public oversight, enforceable contractual protections, and strict adherence to all applicable local, state, and federal regulations for the protection of residents, ratepayers, and the community as a whole.