Data Centers

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new program to expand fertilizer manufacturing in the United States as a response to rising input costs for farmers. Our Samantha Larned reports on the $500 million grant program. In Grandury, Texas, more than 800 residents are asking city leaders to declare no confidence in the city's manager and attorney due to the city's handling of a proposed AI data center on recently annexed land.

On July 7, the City of Lubbock hosted a public meeting to hear residents’ thoughts and concerns about large-scale data centers. As city officials try to balance the potential benefits with the risks, a majority of the approximately 70 members of the public who spoke at the meeting were against allowing data centers in the city.

Last night, the City of Lubbock hosted a nearly-4-hour meeting to discuss the potential development of large-scale data centers, with comment from about 70 members of the public. Our Samantha Larned reports that while city staff have recommended policies to support further control over developments, some citizens say that concerns over enforcement remain unchanged.

Tonight, the City of Lubbock will be hearing from citizens on the subject of large-scale data centers in a public meeting. The meeting will take place in the banquet hall of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center at 5:30 p.m. The subject of large-scale data centers has raised concerns and even some pushback from Lubbockites. Our reporter Brad Burt has more on another meeting this week, organized by residents petitioning to get Lubbock’s city government to enact a moratorium on data centers in the city. The discussion is scheduled for July 8 at 6 p.m. at the YWCA Event Room at 6501 University Ave. You can find information on the city's meeting and moratorium efforts here.

Texas has 32 proposed natural gas power plants tied to Al data centers, the report found — raising concerns about air pollution, water use and public health as the industry expands.

Over the last month, Governor Greg Abbott has announced more than $400 million in grants to energy providers outside the state’s ERCOT system as part of a new funding program to upgrade electrical infrastructure across the state. Our Brad Burt reports this includes $113 million for Xcel customers in the South Plains and Panhandle, where downed power lines have been linked to devastating wildfires. Meanwhile, Abbott's opposition to data centers continues to grow, a reversal of his invitation to data centers moving to Texas last year.

More cases of the New World Screwworm are being reported. KEDT's Rob Boscamp says 27 cases of the New World Screwworm have now been reported in the country in the past month, with all but one in Texas. Meanwhile, Lubbock city leaders are asking for citizens’ opinions ahead of a public meeting to discuss the subject of large-scale data centers. The meeting will take place on July 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the banquet hall of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The city is also taking public opinion in an online survey that’s open through July 2. Results of the survey will be presented at the July 7 meeting.You can find a link to that survey here.

Lubbock city leaders are asking for citizens’ opinions ahead of a public meeting to discuss the subject of large-scale data centers. Over the next week, the City is taking an online survey to gauge public opinion on large-scale data centers before the meeting. You can find a link to fill out the survey here.

Data centers use water to cool their massive arrays of computer servers. A state agency sent out a survey to figure out how much, but less than a third of the companies responded.

Some North Texas communities have made efforts to stop – or at least slow – the growth of data centers, but legal challenges from developers are making it an uphill battle.