Texas residents lash possible data centers over water, power fears: 'You don't serve billionaires'

A possible data center project in Lubbock is already running into two concerns many Texans know all too well: water scarcity and reliable electricity.

At a recent city council meeting, residents questioned whether AI-driven growth would bring meaningful benefits to the community or simply add strain to the people and neighborhoods that already shoulder much of the city's industrial burden.

What happened?

KCBD said city officials received more than 1,500 survey responses, with the feedback focused most heavily on water and electricity use.

During the meeting, Mayor Mark McBrayer opened the session before city manager Jarrett Atkinson went over the survey findings; assistant city manager Erik Rejino then described the potential power and water demands of a future data center.

Councilwoman Christy Martinez-Garcia also pointed to the siting issue, warning that the project's impacts would not be evenly distributed across the city.

"Districts one and two already have all of the industrial companies as it stands," Martinez-Garcia said, "so now we could potentially have all of the industrial, and now we're going to add all of the data centers. Somehow, that just is a little bit concerning to me."

One resident asked, "I would like to ask the council, what economic benefit is there to the average citizenry of Lubbock, Texas to have this?"

Another said, "It's crazy to me that you would consider pushing this forward. The fact that you're going to put it on the east side of town, okay, everybody knows why."

A third resident directly challenged the city's assumptions, asking, "You said 100,000 gallons a day for water usage; where are you getting that number?"

McBrayer later said any potential data center would require more work and research before moving forward.

Why does it matter?

Data centers can require enormous amounts of around-the-clock electricity, and many also use significant volumes of water for cooling.

In a state where heat waves already put heavy pressure on the grid and drought remains a recurring threat, that can translate into real concerns about utility reliability, household costs, and resource planning.

AI's relationship with the energy grid is also complicated.

On one hand, AI tools can help utilities forecast demand, improve efficiency, and better integrate wind and solar energy. On the other hand, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure can increase electricity demand, consume water, and potentially drive up bills if new costs are passed on to residents.

Martinez-Garcia's comments, along with residents' concerns about the east side of town, reflect a broader pattern in which lower-income communities and neighborhoods with existing industrial development often fear they will be asked to absorb additional impacts first.

That debate is only growing louder as AI expands into more parts of daily life and the broader economy.

What's being done?

For now, no final decision appears to have been made, and city leaders have signaled that the discussion remains open.

The public meeting itself was one step in that process, and the survey responses give local officials a substantial body of community feedback to consider before moving forward.

Carl Tepper, who represents Lubbock in the state House, offered a much more supportive view in comments to KCBD, arguing that data centers could create jobs and generate revenue for schools, parks, and hospitals as the city pursues growth.

Projected electricity demand, verified water-use estimates, tax incentives, emergency planning, neighborhood impacts, and who would pay for any infrastructure upgrades that may be needed all remain open questions.

Public frustration over the proposal was captured by one resident's warning: "Y'all serve us, you don't serve billionaires. Serve your citizens, it's a social contract."

Tepper, meanwhile, argued for the opposite approach, saying, "I will take every data center that is rejected by any other county in Texas."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.