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Posted on 07/29/2026 7:06:05 PM PDT by Libloather
Willie Nelson urged Americans to think again when it comes to building the future.
Nelson, 93, encouraged followers to “fight against data centers invading our land” in a social media plea shared Tuesday.
The country music legend reflected on being able to see “stars at night” in his Texas hometown, but that light pollution and “water thieving” were imminent in a looming industrial climate.
“I grew up in Abbott, and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night,” Nelson told his followers.
“And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land.
“The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter).”
The “On the Road Again” singer noted how “the strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints.”
“It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land,” Nelson wrote. “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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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It’s water that could be used to grow pot.
I never was a fan of Willie’s music (personal preference). But I kinda admire his free spirit. Very American.
So I’ll take some notice of what the old rebel has to say here.
Where was he when the insane Texas “right of capture” laws permitted idiots to drain the Ogallala Aquifer by doing stupid stuff like trying to grow cotton in irrigated fields in Amarillo?
Or Asparagus for export to the Middle East in Arizona?
(Full disclosure, I am being considered for a data center job in the Texas panhandle).
Those that focus on water, are missing the boat.
Why don’t they build them near the ocean?.................
No thanks, Willie. Go smoke dope and wither away. We aren’t interested in losing the AI war or slowing down our economy.
Willie has what’s known as a luxury belief. that is, one that he can afford.
there are lots of people in poor counties who are poor but can feel rich if they hold luxury beliefs.
the data centers send lots of money in taxes to local governments who support them. The sound they make are not great. but you have to live close to them in order for that to happen. I live in loudoun county virginia which is the datacenter center of the world. There are roads with miles of data centers on them. but you have to drive those roads to notice them.
I don’t notice them. but I do notice that this county has all kinds of money available for public services.
Oh C’mon Willie, everyone would much rather have clever AI memes than food on their tables.
> Willie has what’s known as a luxury belief. <
Good point, and perhaps one I should have noticed earlier.
Wow! Willie & Keith should do a song.
TBH I thought Willie had left this Mortal
Coil
Wonder how much China pays him.
The data center need water once. It circulates around like your car radiator.
Yes and no. It's a mixed bag.
I asked Grok if AI data centers are a net gain (tax recenue) or loss (government subsidies) for local communities. Here's the answer:
Subsidized? Yes—aggressively, via tax expenditures that cost governments (especially states) billions in forgone revenue each year as AI-scale builds accelerate.
Profitable tax revenue? Often yes at the local level where property (and especially equipment) taxes apply and incentives are not total giveaways. Net state fiscal impact is frequently negative on a narrow tax-expenditure basis; overall economic return depends on multiplier effects, whether the facility would have located elsewhere, and unpriced costs (power, water, grid upgrades).
Outcomes are highly location-specific. Established hubs with mature tax structures (e.g., parts of Virginia) show clear local windfalls; newer or heavily abated deals can look closer to pure subsidies in the short-to-medium term. Audits and independent reviews increasingly question the return on the largest automatic exemptions.
In short, governments deliberately forgo significant tax revenue to attract these facilities, while many host localities still collect substantial (and sometimes transformative) ongoing tax payments from the resulting high-value assets.
OK, Willie, but first give up your golf courses. They use ten times the water per year that a data center does.
I suspect the rumors about China funding anti-data center hype may have something to them. Having already largely deindustrialized, this would be another nail in the coffin for the US. As we just sit around afraid to touch anything in the environment for fear we'll break it.
That being said, I do like his Sirius satellite station, Willie's Road Houuse, which plays vintage country western music.
First thing that comes to mind with Willie!
Then he got hooked on dope, and turned into a dirt bag.
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