Country music veteran Willie Nelson has joined other celebrities opposing a wave of data center developments tied to the burgeoning use of artificial intelligence, with large projects planned in some of that entertainment genre’s strongholds including Texas and Tennessee.
The 93-year-old Nelson posted on Facebook this week, opposing large data center projects planned near small towns like Abbott, Texas, where he grew up and still has a home and farmland. Abbott, about 70 miles south of downtown Dallas, had a population of 352 as of the 2020 Census. Nelson in past decades has protested the loss of family farms.
More than 500 data centers are operating in Texas, with nearly 250 in various planning stages, according to the Texas Tribune and tracking site Data Center Map. More than 80 projects are in the planning stages in the Dallas area that includes Abbott, and at least 14 states are considering following New York’s lead in establishing a one-year moratorium on data center permits.
Nelson said the Abbott community, like many others, “needs to fight against data centers invading our land.” Reflecting nationwide concerns about power and resource usage, he said “the strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints."
Responding to nationwide concerns, the Data Center Coalition, an industry trade association, this month issued a statement saying data center operators are working with lawmakers and residents to ensure the facilities strengthen rather than strain communities.
“Data centers are committed to being responsible and responsive partners in localities where they operate,” the coalition's President Josh Levi said in the statement. “That’s why the data center industry is investing in new power generation and transmission upgrades that benefit all users."
He added the industry is "practicing responsible water usage, and generating significant tax revenue that enables important local priorities and helps make life more affordable for Americans across the country.”
Here are some other celebrities recently engaging in the debate, according to regional news reports and social media posts:
Jane Fonda: The actress long known for political and social activism joined residents and Colorado state leaders in June to protest a 600,000-square-foot data center project being built near a community health center in Denver. The first 170,000-square foot phase is nearing completion with initial generator testing underway. The Denver City Council has approved a one-year moratorium on new data center permits. Fonda has pushed nationally for stricter regulations on AI and data centers to safeguard health and increase the use of clean energy.
Brad Paisley: The Grammy-winning country music star last month joined those opposing a 69,000-square-foot data center planned for a site about 50 yards from the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee. The Nashville resident posted a video on Instagram urging his fans to sign the zoo’s petition seeking to stop the project, telling other media he was especially concerned about the project’s impact on rare and vulnerable species at the zoo. Developer DC Blox told news outlets the facility, being built on a site that previously housed a data center, would not impose new burdens on the community. Nashville’s Metro Council this month approved a permit moratorium to run through Dec. 1 along with permanent new zoning regulations.
Tanya Tucker: The longtime country music singer posted video statements asking Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to protect rural ranches in her home state from projects. Born in Seminole, Texas, Tucker cited potential ill effects from added construction of high-voltage transmission lines needed to support data center expansion. She said the effects include potential damage to private ranches, damage to local water resources and risks for health and wildlife. Abbott has directed state utility agencies to require data centers to pay for needed electric grid upgrades as some state lawmakers call for further regulation of those facilities.
Sheryl Crow: Nashville-area resident Crow also opposes the data center project near the Nashville Zoo. Those posting on social media and signing the zoo’s online protest petition also include Jack White, founder of the White Stripes, and country singer Margo Price. Nashville Zoo officials said its petition posted at Change.org had garnered more than 560,000 signatures as of July 24.