Data center debate
Willie Nelson condemns data center in his hometown south of Dallas
Willie Nelson's critique was especially centered on Abbott, where he grew up.
A country music legend is joining the conversation surrounding data centers in Texas.
Country music icon Willie Nelson, who himself calls the Central Texas area home, shared a statement urging Texans to "fight against" data centers, which he says are "invading our land."
In the statement, Nelson primarily speaks out against a data center in his hometown of Abbott, in Hill County south of Dallas, though he says his concerns extend to other towns, as well. Nelson says he believes the "strength of rural America" comes from the people and the land, not from "big industrial footprints." He goes on to argue that data centers "only destroy the environment around them."
"I grew up in Abbott, and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night," Nelson said in the statement. "And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land. The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter). 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. 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 environments around them. Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses. Let's not allow our own demise or give up control over necessary resources in the U.S. and especially in Abbott."
Data centers have become a polarizing topic in Texas as the state has seen sudden and rapid growth of data center development.
Residents in Temple, Texas recently tried to recall multiple City Council members after they voted to move forward with a controversial data center development. Hill County settled a lawsuit with a data center developer after the Commissioners Court attempted to enact a moratorium to pause data center development in the county.
A data center project near Cedar Creek Lake was recently halted by developer Diode after bipartisan backlash, and a coalition of farmers and ranchers held a protest at the Texas State Capitol in late July ahead of a scheduled meeting of the Texas Senate Committee on Finance to speak out against data centers.
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