Two council members voted no, District 4's Tim Green and District 6's Tim Collins. The vote followed two orders from Texas Governor Greg Abbott that effectively halted approval of new facilities, pending an audit from the state's electric grid operator and regulatory agency.
Green said the potential economic benefits drove his vote. "I'm telling the data center industry: bring us a project, show us the technology, show us a water plan, show us a power plan, show us the investment, show us what it does for the taxpayers of Lubbock," he said. He also acknowledged "legitimate concerns about data centers."
The procedure takes about 90 days. If the council gives final approval, the pause itself lasts 90 days, with an option to extend another 90. That is separate from an 18-month moratorium that a citizens' petition put before the council.
For people here, the timing is the fight. The citizen push started before Abbott acted, and more information and possible changes could come out of the state's legislative session. One councilman has argued the city should hold off on using its moratorium, since passing it now would block another for two years.
Green did the math on the full timeline and landed on 270 days.