In Texas, land changes fuel data center fears, and residents threaten a recall
Residents in Lubbock, Texas, are fiercely opposing the Lubbock City Council's approval of an 8-acre annexation and 52-acre industrial rezoning, fearing it paves the way for energy-intensive data center development. They have launched a petition for an 18-month data center moratorium and threatened council member recalls. City officials deny the land is for data centers, despite a disclosed partnership for an unrelated inference data center in East Lubbock.
Residents in Lubbock, Texas, are in a heated dispute with local officials over two property actions, fearing they are a precursor to large-scale data center development. The Lubbock City Council recently approved annexing an 8-acre site and rezoning 52 nearby acres from residential to industrial, prompting strong community backlash.
Community activist Phyllis Gant warned council members that residents would pursue a recall if their concerns were not addressed. Residents have already started circulating a petition for an 18-month moratorium on data centers, and organizers like Stephen Sanders suggest that if the council rejects the proposal, they aim to put the issue on the November ballot for direct voter input. While City leaders and Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) President John Osborne deny the rezoned land is specifically for data centers, citing its suitability for manufacturing, a local TV report revealed a partnership between LEDA and CORVA for an unrelated 50,000-square-foot inference data center in East Lubbock. Councilwoman Christy Martinez-Garcia, who voted against the zone change, encouraged continued resident engagement, as the community seeks transparency regarding industrial development's potential impact on local resources, power demand, and water availability.