Overview
- Country music legend Willie Nelson on Tuesday published a social media statement from his hometown of Abbott saying proposed nearby data centers are “loud, water thieving, light polluting” and urging communities to fight their construction.
- Community activists and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recently protested at the state Capitol and called on Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session to strip data-center tax exemptions and set siting rules.
- Gov. Abbott has declined to call a special session and instead directed state regulators to limit ratepayers’ exposure to costs for new power infrastructure while urging lawmakers to address the issue when they return in January.
- Reporting by the Texas Tribune cited in coverage estimates roughly $3.2 billion in foregone sales-tax revenue from a data-center exemption over two years, a central point in fiscal criticism of the incentives.
- A University of Texas at Austin poll shows most Texans oppose data centers in their communities, especially rural voters, and Nelson’s statement elevates local concerns about water use, light and noise into a statewide issue with midterm implications.