Lubbock city council votes on data center moratorium petition
The Lubbock City Council accepted a petition for an 18-month moratorium on high energy and water use data center development within city limits. A public hearing and vote on the actual moratorium are scheduled for September 8th. This local action follows a statewide freeze on data center proposals enacted by Governor Abbott, pending an audit by the Public Utility Commission.
The Lubbock City Council took a step towards a potential data center moratorium by accepting valid petition signatures. The proposed moratorium, initiated by the group Save Lubbock, would implement an 18-month pause on new high-energy and high-water use data center developments within city limits. While today's action was procedural, numerous people attended the meeting to show their support for the petition.
A public hearing and vote on the moratorium are scheduled for September 8th. If the council's vote passes, the moratorium will become law; if it fails, the issue will be put to a public vote in May, as it did not meet the deadlines for the November ballot.
In related statewide news, Governor Abbott has enacted a freeze on all data center proposals until the Public Utility Commission can audit them for resource use. The duration of this statewide pause is currently unclear, effectively halting new data center projects across Texas.