Lubbock citizens have joined the ranks of many across the state of Texas in pushing back on a possible data center project inside the city limits, citing concerns over water scarcity, reliable electricity and potential spikes in the cost of living.
Hundreds of residents attended a recent Lubbock city council special meeting and town halls to voice their opposition and call for thirdparty studies on resource impacts before any data center projects are approved. Dozens of speakers called for the city to delay or ban any large-scale projects.
City officials received more than 1,500 responses to a survey on concerns about AI data centers, with the feedback focused on water and electricity use.
Residents are questioning whether AI-Lubbock driven growth would bring any real benefits to the community or simply make it harder for the people and neighborhoods that already shoulder much of the city's industrial burden.
Thus far, Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer said that no large-scale AI data center proposal has been voted on or approved by the current city council, and no active proposals are currently before them, but said an outright ban would hurt the progress already made on regulations.
The city is looking into adding rigorous requirements for future developers, including mandatory specific use permits, power usage studies, and decommissioning plans.
Following heavy pushback, developers who were preparing to submit an initial zoning request for a large-scale project in northeast Lubbock withdrew their request to revise their plans.
For now, no final decision appears to have been made, and the discussion remains open. open.
Meanwhile, Citizens of Lubbock Against Data Centers and Save Lubbock, are gathering signatures for a petition to enforce an 18month moratorium on building large-scale data centers.
The advocacy groups have taken a proposed proclamation to the Lubbock County Commissioners Court, demanding protections for local roads, water resources and public safety.