‘Only organized people can beat organized money’: Lubbock groups rally against data center expansion
Lubbock residents and city leaders expressed concerns about proposed data centers at a community meeting organized by local groups. The discussion highlighted environmental impacts, high water and electricity usage, and potential price increases. A petition is underway, aiming to collect enough signatures to bring a data center development pause to a city council vote.
Lubbock, Texas, residents and local groups, including Citizens of Lubbock Against Data Centers and Save Lubbock, organized a community meeting on Wednesday to discuss the proposed expansion of data centers in the city. City leaders and residents attending the meeting voiced significant concerns about the developments, citing a lack of sufficient information to approve any related agreements.
Speakers at the event unanimously expressed apprehension regarding potential environmental impacts, substantial water and electricity consumption, and the possibility of price increases for essential services. Clayton Tucker, a Democratic candidate for Texas attorney general, encouraged residents to actively participate, emphasizing that "only organized people can beat organized money" in the face of significant investments from data center companies in the political system.
Stephen Sanders, founder of Citizens of Lubbock Against Data Centers, has initiated a petition advocating for a pause on all data center development within Lubbock. If the petition gathers the necessary 2,410 signatures by the July 28 deadline, the request for a development delay will be presented to the city council for an official vote.