Abbott Seeks Ban on Rural Texas AI Data Centers as Poll Shows Nearly Two-Thirds Oppose Them
Updated
Updated · The Texas Tribune · Jun 30
Abbott Seeks Ban on Rural Texas AI Data Centers as Poll Shows Nearly Two-Thirds Oppose Them
3 articles · Updated · The Texas Tribune · Jun 30
Summary
East Texas became the stage for Greg Abbott’s sharpest turn yet on data centers, with the governor calling for a ban on new AI facilities in rural neighborhoods.
Abbott said developers must bring their own power, fund their own infrastructure, reuse water and lose tax breaks, expanding on a June 10 framework that stopped short of an outright rural prohibition.
Rural resistance has grown as opponents warn large facilities could strain water supplies, worsen air quality and raise electricity bills; a recent UT/Texas Politics Project poll found nearly two-thirds of rural Texans oppose a data center in their community.
Nearly half of planned Texas data centers are slated for unincorporated areas, up from 12% now, putting pressure on counties that have limited zoning power and have sought moratoriums or more local control.
The shift creates a political and industry clash for Abbott, who previously hailed Texas as an AI hub after Google’s $40 billion investment and has taken more than $2 million from tech- and AI-linked donors since last year.