Americans opposing AI data center construction can officially count superstar activist Willie Nelson as an ally. Nelson criticized the hefty facilities in an Instagram post on Tuesday. He said residents in his hometown of Abbott, Texas — like elsewhere in the country — must resist them. Although Virginia is the data center capitol of the US, Texas has become a hot spot due to available land, potential tax breaks, and access to the electricity grid.
"The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter)," he said.
Nelson said it's imperative that rural communities in America aren't displaced by data centers, which many of those in the AI industry say are vital to the country's future economic growth.
"The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints. It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land," Nelson wrote. "All of America deserves thoughtful stewardship that doesn't steal farmland (where our essential shared-food is grown) and small family farmers' livelihoods, and not data centers that only destroy the environment around them."
Nelson also called on Americans to protect their resources.
"Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses. Let's not allow our own demise or give up control over necessary resources in the US and especially in Abbott," Nelson wrote.
For tech companies like Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI, AI data centers are essential. The facilities, which can cost billions of dollars and span hundreds of acres, power their AI products. President Donald Trump's administration has broadly supported data center construction by accelerating federal permitting and backing the $500 billion Stargate Project. However, many Americans — including Nelson — are pushing back.
Critics worry that AI data centers, which are much larger than those that store social media or website data, could worsen the environment, raise utility bills, and reduce their quality of life. Across the country, Americans have staged protests, called out local leaders, and taken legal action to stop data center construction.
Politicians are taking notice. Some lawmakers have imposed restrictions, temporary moratoriums, or outright bans on data center construction. New York became the first state to enact a moratorium on AI data centers earlier this month. Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders have called for a nationwide federal moratorium.
Although Nelson is the latest celebrity to lambast data centers, he's not the only one. Country music star Brad Paisley joined Americans in protesting a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo.