Natural Resources

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.

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.

Every spring, high school students from across the country travel to Oklahoma for the National Land and Range Judging Contest. The three-day event tests their knowledge of land and soil.

City leaders intend to make unprecedented cuts to water use in September, but they aren't sure exactly how.

Across the central U.S., nitrate from crop fertilizer and livestock facilities is seeping into water underground. Many family wells are no longer safe to drink from without pricey treatment.