Data Centers

On Friday, The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel event intended to get communities involved in conversations about data centers. West Texas is a popular place for data center proposals, but many in the region have reservations about water and energy use, return on investment, and environmental impact. Our Samantha Larned reports on what panelists had to say about the viability of these projects.

Authorities in Sinton won't confirm or deny Corpus Christi's suggestion that the small town is hoarding its precious groundwater for data centers. Across Texas, a booming buildout of server farms is adding strain to water resources that are already stretched to their limit.

Hill County commissioners’ split vote to issue a moratorium appears to be a first in Texas.

Data center construction is unpopular among locals, and a majority of the facilities are being proposed in red, rural counties. That puts Texas Republicans in a tough spot, as the White House has encouraged states to let the centers flourish.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation yesterday into nearly 30 school districts, including Lubbock ISD, regarding Texas’ Senate Bills 10 and 11. Lubbock ISD released a statement saying it is in compliance with both state laws. A recent report from the University of Texas at Austin revealed that data centers could potentially account for 3-9 percent of the Texas' water use by 2040. KEDT's Rob Boscamp reports they currently represent less than 1%.

Election Day for Lubbock County’s municipal and school elections took place May 2. The City of Lubbock had four positions on the ballot and three of those representatives remain unchanged, including Lubbock’s mayor.

West Texas has become a popular site for data center projects, but residents and city governments alike have questions they want answered before these proposals get approved. According to Lubbock's city manager, the development of one of these facilities in Lubbock will require collaboration and transparency.

Gas prices in Texas have been rising since the beginning of the war in Iran. The Texas Newsrooms Blaise Gainey reports outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is asking the governor to suspend the state’s gasoline sales tax. Data centers have been using large amounts of resources in the last year, but the state requires little public disclosure of how much water or electricity these facilities actually use. Researchers are asking Texas lawmakers to change that.

The boom in data centers, many to support artificial intelligence, could strain the Texas power grid and increase energy costs.

West Texans will soon be seeing another data center after “Project Caprock” broke ground in Hale County yesterday. The boom in A.I. data centers in Texas could raise energy costs and strain the state power grid. KUT's Mose Buchele reports that to understand the risks, grid managers at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas need to understand how many centers are really coming. The City of Levelland in Hockley County is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary this weekend. The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 11, but with the chance of severe weather, the decision was made to push the event to Sunday, April 12.