Willie Nelson Speaks Against Data Center Expansion in Rural Texas

Willie Nelson has added his voice to the growing opposition against data center construction in the United States. In a statement released on social media, the 93-year-old songwriter and activist characterized the facilities as “loud, water thieving, light polluting” and called on his hometown of Abbott, Texas — and rural communities everywhere — to resist them.

Nelson, who still owns farmed land near Abbott, wrote that the area remains a place where “I can still see stars at night.” He warned that data centers threaten the agricultural base and small family farms that have long defined the region. “The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints,” he stated. “It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land.” The post ended with a broader admonition: “Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses. Let’s not allow our own demise.”

It is not clear whether Nelson was responding to a specific project near Abbott, which sits south of Dallas. The wider Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, however, faces a wave of announced data center plans tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure. A Gallup poll released in May found that 70% of Americans oppose building such centers in their local area, with 48% strongly opposed.

Nelson’s statement aligns with a career-long commitment to rural advocacy. He has used his platform for decades — from co-founding Farm Aid in 1985 to recent video messages supporting immigrants and farmland preservation. Last September, he marked Farm Aid’s 40th anniversary by reaffirming that family farmers are “the heart of this country.” His new book, The Last Leaf, arrives in November via Penguin Press, while his latest album, Dream Chaser, was released in late May.