A proposed data center in Grant County has ignited a social media firestorm and divided the community as people seek facts amid rumors and theories.
A July 21, 2025, Quorum Court meeting concerning two resolutions about solar and data projects connected to a company called Clean Cloud set the stage for what has become a confusing, serious and complicated issue in Sheridan and throughout Grant County.
Watch the July Quorum Court meeting here:
Brody Channell, a Grant County citizen who lives near the property where the data center could be built, spoke out against the project at that meeting.
After Channell spoke, County Judge Randy Pruitt allowed Raj Keswani, Clean Cloud's president, to address the standing-room-only crowd although he was not on the agenda.
Keswani, who was not on the prepared agenda, discussed several issues including opportunities for the Sheridan School District.
“I think if this data center happens here, it will generate approximately $300 million of tax revenue over the next 30 years for Grant Count," Keswani said. "During construction, the project should generate about 1,200 construction jobs and once it's operating, between 100 and 130 full-time jobs, new families moving into the area, buying homes, etc. I know one of the prides of Grant County is the school system. Just driving in the buildings are amazing. This is that tax revenue can be enshrined to make a great school system outstanding.
"One of the things I worry about, I have a 27-year-old and a 24-year-old and they don't really love their jobs and, they're not, they're still living at home, etc. I worry about technology and how they're going to compete against AI, and all of these things are part of what this would allow. I think be a big boost to the local business here businesses here, the 1,200 construction jobs, the 150 new families living here, that whole ecosystem of support they need, existing businesses, I think, will have more revenue and I think new businesses can be started."
The day after the meeting Channell filed a pro se lawsuit against the Quorum Court's JPs and Pruitt claiming FOIA violations and seeking injunctive relief.
The hearing was held in September. A special-appointed judge dismissed the case without prejudice.
Suzi Parker
Grant County residents aren't alone with their questions and concerns about data centers.
Other small towns have also fought similar battles in various states including Missouri and Louisiana.
While it may appear the power to stop such projects lies in the hands of Arkansas county judges and justices of the peace, that's not necessarily the case.
State leaders have much to do with why technology companies are even looking at states like Arkansas.
State laws lean pro-data centers
Since 2023, Arkansas' state lawmakers from legislators to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders have focused on expanding data centers in the state with tax abatements and other incentives while limiting the powers of local governments to discriminate against these types of projects.
On March 30, 2023, Republican state Rep. Rick McClure of Malvern sponsored House Bill 1799 titled "To create the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023; and to clarify the regulation of the Digital Asset Mining Business." State Sen. Joshua Bryant, a Republican from Rogers, was the co-sponsor.
Republican Rep. Julie Mayberry of Hensley, who represents all of Grant County, voted for the bill. It passed the House on April 4 with 88 yeas, 2 nays, 9 non-votes and 1 present.
The bill passed the Senate on April 6 with 33 yeas, zero nays and two excused. Republican State Sens. Ben Gilmore of Crossett and Matt Stone of El Dorado, who represent parts of Grant County, voted for the data mining bill.
Sanders signed the bill into law on April 13, giving tax breaks to data centers.
That law expanded during the 2025 session with more tax breaks including reducing the qualified investment required for a data center from $500 million to $100 million.
On Oct. 2, Sanders attended a data center groundbreaking connected to Google in West Memphis. The multi-billion project will be built on 1,000 acres.
At the July Grant County Quorum Court meeting two resolutions were read, mentioning tax abatements for the Arkansas PILOT program.
PILOT stands for Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT). According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, a PILOT program is "the main incentives that a local government can provide to help entice a company to expand or locate a major capital expenditure project in its area."
In fact, because of state laws concerning data centers and other technology industries, a company can sue a county.
Looking for answers
To try and sort out facts in the complex data center puzzle in Grant County, the Reckoning sent Freedom of Information requests to several entities including the Sheridan School District.
School districts are the heart of a community. They often benefit from entities like data and solar companies building. In past decades, this was true when manufacturers like steel plants and automobile plants wanted to move into an area.
The FOI request to Sheridan Superintendent Chad Pitts failed to render any projected financial revenue for the school district.
However, some new information emerged from email correspondence in which Pitts was attached as a receiptant.
Several local business leaders including school board member Wade Crosswhite was included on emails concerning the Clean Cloud project. Crosswhite was the only elected official on the emails, and the emails were sent to his work address at Connect Service Solutions.
Clean Cloud is based in Austin, Texas, and New York. The company "works closely with end users of data centers, utilities and regulators to co-locate utility scale energy projects with data centers," according to its website.
In the documents the Reckoning obtained, one email from Clark Bixler of Clean Cloud dated Aug. 22, 2025, stands out: "Clean Cloud continues to advance the development of the projects at Sheridan behind the scenes. Until Sept. 9th when the case is heard involving the injunction, our direct public involvement is somewhat limited due to the restrictions placed on those individuals with the injunction. Clean Cloud is not part of the case though, so we are glad to have any private conversations such as the one we had with you all."
The school's involvement in the Clean Cloud project comes simultaneously as the district is asking for a millage extension until 2056 to build a new elementary school in East End and a $4 million pavilion for sports and extracurricular activities near the Yellowjacket football field in Sheridan. The millage extension revenue would also help with security upgrades, visible signage and district-wide renovations.
The documents obtained from the Sheridan School District about data and solar projects are published in the same order they were received from Andy Mayberry, communications director for the Sheridan School District.
The Reckoning could not find a connection in the emails between the proposed data center by Clean Cloud and the solar farm in Redfield, which is currently under construction.
Some attachments – invitations to the solar farm events – were also sent in the FOI request along with news articles and an editorial published in a local newspaper.
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