Data Centers

Lubbock’s city council passed a resolution on Tuesday initiating the procedure to adopt a 90-day pause on the development of any large-scale data centers. The council will need to hold two public hearings before the moratorium can officially begin.

The move is the latest in a series of escalating efforts by the governor to slow data center development in Texas ahead of November’s election.

Yesterday, Lubbock City Council passed a 90-day moratorium on the acceptance or approval of large-scale data center developments in the city. Citizens had petitioned for an 18-month moratorium, which failed without a second. Petition organizer Stephen Sanders says he does not plan on moving to put the extended moratorium on the ballot before voters. The council also approved an agreement that will bring a new public health staffer to Lubbock, funded by the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, Dr. Katherine Wells and her department were recognized by the Texas Immunization Partnership for the coordination and vaccine access they provided during the 2025 measles outbreak.

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This week, Lubbock's City Council said it would not consider any large-scale data center projects until regulations have been adopted to protect city residents and resources. Two days later, the Planning and Zoning Commission saw a presentation of potential requirements for developers, but members of the board said the proposal needs more work.

Yesterday, Lubbock’s Planning and Zoning Commission heard a proposal to add new regulations for potential large-scale data center developments within city limits. The presentation comes after a meeting earlier this week, where city council members spoke on what they want to see before considering any data center projects. No recommendations were adopted at this time and the vote was rescheduled to Nov. 5.

Lubbock’s City Council passed a resolution yesterday that the council would not consider any large-scale data center developments until after the city has adopted standards to protect residents and resources. A presentation of proposed regulations is scheduled for tomorrow at a special meeting of Lubbock’s Planning & Zoning Commission, tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. at Citizens Tower, located at 1314 Avenue K. You can find a copy of the recommendations here.

Data center development has picked up in the Austin area, and residents have voiced concerns about water and energy resources related to the construction. But experts say they can use those concerns to get the companies to build more sustainably.

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