Lubbock's Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on Thursday evening to send 12 proposed regulations for data centers to the city council. The commission only makes a recommendation. The council has the authority to approve the rules. The council expects to consider them at its December 1 meeting.
The proposed rules cover water use, site location, power use and noise for large-scale data centers and power generation, transmission and distribution. Data centers would be required to minimize water use. The council would set a water-use fee and could request an air-quality compliance report. Noise could not exceed 57 decibels, and low-frequency noise could not exceed 10 hertz. Generator testing and maintenance would be limited to weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The staff-recommended rules come amid scrutiny of data centers in Texas, especially over water and power use. According to a recent poll, more than half of Texans oppose data centers. Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered a comprehensive audit of all data centers moving through the interconnection process before more projects are approved.