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Country music legend Willie Nelson has spoken out in opposition of massive AI data centers being built near his hometown in Texas.
The 93-year-old was famously born and raised in the small rural city of Abbott, Texas, which is just 0.6 square miles and has a reported population of 352 people.
It was recently revealed that there are proposed plans to build nearly 250 data centers across Texas, including 56 in Nelson's Central Texas, as per The Texas Tribune.
The plans have sparked statewide backlash as data centers - which house the servers, drives and hardware used to power artificial intelligence like ChatGPT -create pollution and require incredible amounts of energy and water to operate.
And now, Nelson, who still owns property and farmland in Abbott, has publicly urged fellow Texans to 'fight against' the data centers 'invading' rural areas.
'I grew up in Abbott, and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night. And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land,' he began in a social media post on Tuesday.
Country music legend Willie Nelson has spoken out in opposition of a massive AI data center being built near his hometown in Texas; seen in 2000
'The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter).
While he did not specify which Abbott-adjacent data center he was referring to in his post, there is a 'planned' Nexus Data Centers 'campus' being built about 25 miles away in the city of Hubbard, Texas, according to The Texas Tribune.
'The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints,' Nelson continued. '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 environment 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.'
Nelson shared his powerful message across Facebook and Instagram, earning thousands of likes and comments from fans and celebrity friends, including Kacey Musgraves.
The criticism surrounding Texas's AI data center boom has been so fierce that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has shifted to prioritizing industry regulation, including a proposal to repeal 'data center sales tax exemptions' and 'other unnecessary incentives for data centers,' according to The Texas Tribune.
Governor Abbott has also proposed outright banning the development of data centers in rural neighborhoods.
It marks a major backtrack for the politician who once proudly called Texas an 'epicenter of AI development' after Google notably invested $40 billion in AI infrastructure in the state last November.
It was recently revealed that there are proposed plans to build nearly 250 data centers across Texas, including 56 in Nelson's Central Texas, as per The Texas Tribune; Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas pictured
And now, Nelson, who still owns property and farmland in Abbott, has publicly urged fellow Texans to 'fight against' the data centers 'invading' rural America
'We must ensure that America remains at the forefront of the AI revolution, and Texas is the place where that can happen,' Abbott's statement at the time read in part.
While concerns about energy and water usage are at the forefront of most data center critiques, analysts have also spoken about other potential environmental impacts, including noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Nelson's hometown Abbott is located in Hill County, which made headlines in May of this year for passing a data center moratorium which would have put a 'one-year pause' on the construction of data centers in areas deemed 'unincorporated.'
However, the moratorium was short lived as the county was slapped with a $100 million lawsuit by a developer in June and it was unanimously ended by the Hill County Commissioners.
On July 15, Hill County reached a settlement and agreed to pay '$100,000 in the plaintiff's attorney's fees and adopt a revised industrial development review policy,' according to KCEN TV.
Other Texas cities and counties are fighting against AI infrastructure, with San Marcos having passed a citywide data center ban this year using zoning laws.
Nelson's outspokenness on the topic of the environmental and community impact of data centers comes as no surprise to his fans as he has been an activist for decades.
Through Farm Aid, which he founded with fellow musicians Neil Young and John Mellencamp in 1985, has raised more than $90 million that's gone to help farmers in rural areas, according to TIME.
Nelson left his hometown of Abbott after 18 years to work in Texas radio before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 1960 to pursue a country music career.
In an open letter to 'young farmers' in 2025, Nelson slammed the 'corporate takeover of all food production' and vowed to fight for the opportunities for 'independent farmers and ranchers.'
He has also raised millions to benefit those affected by natural disasters and war veterans.
Nelson left his hometown of Abbott after 18 years to work in Texas radio before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 1960 to pursue a country music career.
He is now a 12-time Grammy-winning recording artist who has worked with the likes of Dolly Parton, Toby Keith and even the rapper Snoop Dogg.
Nelson has sold over 60 million record worldwide and he has had 25 songs - including his 1980 hit On the Road Again - top the Billboard Country Charts.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Nelson for further comment on the story but did not immediately hear back.
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