In the rolling plains north of Lubbock, fourth‑generation farmer Cheyenne Buerger watches a Google data center rise on land his family has tended for a century. After his landlord sold 600 acres to the tech giant, Buerger was given just 60 days to clear his crops. He now worries that the same fate could befall the rest of his 6,000‑acre operation.
Data centers encroaching on rural Texas
According to industry tracking firm Cleanview, Texas already hosts 335 data centers, with dozens more planned. Rural areas are the most attractive sites because land is cheap, flat and plentiful; the Pew Research Center reports that 67% of U.S. data centers sit in rural locations. Projects such as Project Matador in the Panhandle, Project Pacifico in Pecos County and Project Meta in El Paso together would consume roughly 16,000 acres – an area comparable to 12,000 football fields.
Impact on agriculture
Texas agriculture generates more than $963 billion in economic output and drives nearly $15 billion in annual exports. Yet farmers face rising costs for equipment, water and land. A recent Texas Land Trends analysis shows the state has lost nearly 3.7 million acres of farmland in the past 25 years, with 1.8 million acres converted to non‑agricultural uses between 2017 and 2022.
Data‑center development adds a new pressure point. Farmers like Buerger report congested roads, constant construction lighting, and the looming loss of fertile soil. “It makes me feel threatened just from losing land to data centers,” he said. Rancher Chris Grotegut in Hereford echoed the concern, noting that Google’s Project Roman will eventually span more than 180,000 acres, including a solar and wind farm to power the center.
Political response
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warned, “They’re building them on our most valuable, most fertile farmland. Once our farmland is gone and paved over, we’ll never farm it again.” Governor Greg Abbott has faced criticism for not calling a special legislative session to address the issue, even as the state’s Republican‑leaning electorate watches the debate unfold.
Democratic Agriculture Commissioner candidate Clayton Tucker called for a pause on new data‑center projects, saying the state must be “smart about this” to protect its agricultural heritage. Republican primary winner Nate Sheets, who defeated Miller, suggested a partnership model: data‑center operators could fund water and land conservation programs to offset their impact.
Water concerns
Water scarcity compounds the problem. In the High Plains, the Ogallala Aquifer supplies the lifeblood of farms from the Panhandle to Lubbock. Eric Simpson of At’l Do Farms in Shallowater worries that a new data center in nearby Abernathy will further strain water resources, threatening the viability of crops like pumpkins and corn.
Looking ahead
With at least 248 data centers planned statewide, the conflict between high‑tech infrastructure and traditional farming is likely to intensify. Stakeholders argue that any future development must respect Texas’ agricultural legacy, protect water supplies, and ensure that the economic benefits of data centers do not come at the expense of the families who have fed the state for generations.
Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
