LUBBOCK, Texas — A citizens group seeking a temporary halt to new data center projects in Lubbock says it has collected enough petition signatures to advance its proposal, although the signatures must still be verified by city officials.
Citizens of Lubbock Against Data Centers announced Monday that more than 2,400 people had signed its petition. Organizers previously identified 2,410 valid signatures from registered Lubbock voters as the minimum requirement.
The group is continuing to gather names with a goal of reaching 3,000 signatures before delivering the petition to Citizens Tower this week. Collecting additional signatures could provide a cushion if some are rejected because the signer is not registered, lives outside the city limits or signed more than once.
After the petition is submitted, the Lubbock city secretary will review the signatures and determine whether the group has met the legal threshold.
The petition calls for an 18-month moratorium on certain data center development. The proposed pause would cover permits, zoning changes and infrastructure agreements involving data centers and server farms. It would not permanently prohibit such projects.
During the moratorium, the proposal calls for studies examining potential effects on Lubbock’s water and electrical supplies, noise levels, traffic, drainage, emergency services, cybersecurity and other public infrastructure. The pause could end early if the city completes its studies and adopts permanent regulations.
Supporters say the rapid expansion of power-intensive data centers could strain local resources, raise utility costs and affect nearby neighborhoods and agricultural land. The group has held public meetings and rallies while arguing that city leaders should establish comprehensive safeguards before considering another large project.
Mayor Mark McBrayer and Lubbock Economic Development Alliance CEO John Osborne have raised concerns about a blanket moratorium. They have argued that developers could locate projects in unincorporated areas outside Lubbock, where the city would have less authority to regulate setbacks, noise and infrastructure requirements. City officials have also said they are already studying possible regulations for future proposals.
The debate intensified following a proposed 936-acre hyperscale data center in northeast Lubbock. The developer withdrew that zoning request in January after the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denying it. City leaders have said no active data center proposal is currently before the City Council.
If the petition contains enough valid signatures, the proposed resolution would move to the City Council. If council members decline to adopt it, the measure could ultimately be placed before Lubbock voters.
Reaching the raw signature goal is therefore an important milestone for organizers, but it does not enact the moratorium. The next step is the city’s formal verification process.
