LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The public gathered, Monday, to hear Lubbock County commissioners discuss and potentially approve a resolution regarding large-scale industrial development in the state of Texas.<\/p>\n
This discussion mostly centered around data centers potentially being built in unincorporated parts of the county, but the wording opens it up for any major business to disclose how much water and electricity it would use for its projects.<\/p>\n
The resolution passed four to one, with only judge Curtis Parrish voting against it due to its language.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the concern is about data centers, let\u2019s make sure this resolution is tailored to data centers,\u201d Parrish said. \u201cI don\u2019t have anyone coming and talking to me concerning about any other manufacturing businesses, any other expanding businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner Cary Shaw does not see it the same way, feeling each business should be up front about what it plans to use regardless of its industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you not want all the information before a business comes in?\u201d Shaw said, \u201cwhat they\u2019re going to use, what kind of resources they\u2019re going to need from the county.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing in this non-binding resolution creates or expands county authority. It does not require the county to take any action or authorize the county to prohibit, suspend, delay, or impose a moratorium on a privately financed project, except as expressly permitted by Texas law.<\/p>\n
This became a point of contention inside the commissioner courtroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll this is doing is telling Texas law that we need some help,\u201d commissioner Jordan Rackler said during the meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just got done rattling off that this would make the data centers come talk to us,\u201d commissioner Jason Corley said in response. \u201cIf you want it to pass, let\u2019s pass it, but this is 10 minutes of my life I\u2019m never getting back. Let\u2019s get going. Resolutions do nothing, they are not binding. You want to pass it, let\u2019s pass it.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the resolution passed, Parrish said a lot more work needs to be done before anything moves forward regarding this topic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to make sure that the state gives us enough teeth, enough authority that we can put a hiatus on these data centers coming and taking our electricity, taking our water and not giving anything back to the community,\u201d Parrish said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I want to make sure we\u2019re protecting the citizens of Lubbock county for. This resolution does not do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner Shaw says the symbolic approval does send a message to Austin as the statewide debate over the future of its economy takes up more of its bandwidth.<\/p>\n
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