Willie Nelson joins backlash to ‘water thieving, light polluting’ data centers
Willie Nelson has joined the growing backlash against data center development in Texas, specifically criticizing a potential project in his hometown of Abbott for being loud, water-intensive, and light-polluting. His stance adds to a bipartisan chorus of critics calling for a moratorium, tax break elimination, and new siting rules for data centers. Governor Abbott has directed regulators to manage electrical infrastructure costs but has resisted calls for a special legislative session, instead pushing for action in January.
Texas music legend Willie Nelson has publicly voiced his opposition to data center development, adding his voice to a growing bipartisan coalition of critics. Nelson, who maintains a home in Abbott, Texas, specifically denounced a potential data center in his community, labeling it “loud, water thieving, light polluting.” He emphasized that rural America's strength comes from its people and land, not industrial footprints.
The opposition to data centers has become a significant political issue ahead of November's midterms, with recent polling from the University of Texas at Austin indicating strong statewide disapproval, particularly among rural voters. Community activists, alongside Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, recently staged a protest outside the Texas Capitol, urging Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session to revoke data center tax breaks and establish siting regulations.
Governor Abbott has responded by directing state regulators to ensure data centers do not burden ratepayers with new electrical infrastructure costs, though he has not yet agreed to a special session, instead calling for legislative action when lawmakers reconvene in January. This growing backlash includes calls for a statewide moratorium on data center construction.