Abbott Seeks Rural Texas AI Data Center Ban as Willie Nelson, 93, Joins Opposition
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Abbott Seeks Rural Texas AI Data Center Ban as Willie Nelson, 93, Joins Opposition
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Summary
Greg Abbott on Tuesday called for banning AI data center developments in rural Texas, saying projects should not be built in small communities unless they fund their own power and water needs.
The governor also said the state should scrap tax breaks for the facilities, arguing developers must pay for their own projects and help lower electricity costs for Texas residents.
Willie Nelson, 93, amplified the push with a social media appeal tied to his hometown of Abbott, warning that data centers would bring noise, light pollution and heavy water use to farmland.
Nelson framed the fight as part of a broader defense of rural land and family farms, a cause he has backed for decades through Farm Aid, which has raised more than $90 million since 1985.