On Sunday, Texas Governor Abbott appeared on ABC's "This Week" program and said that the sharp criticism of AI data centers by Americans was "justified." He stated outright that tech companies were "basically digging their own graves for the problems they created, which is why they are facing deserved opposition" — these facilities, costing billions and covering hundreds of acres, have failed to win public support and instead sparked widespread opposition across the country.
Seven in ten Americans oppose them, forcing the governor to shift
Surveys by Pew and Gallup show a significant proportion of the public opposes having data centers nearby. Gallup reported that seven in ten Americans oppose building them locally, with nearly half strongly opposing it. Critics filled planning meetings, launched petitions, and even filed lawsuits. For conservative politicians like Abbott, this is an awkward reality before the midterm elections: he must walk a tightrope between voters' wishes and Trump's full support for AI, which is accelerating federal approvals and backing the $50 billion "Stargate" plan for OpenAI and Oracle.
Abbott initially strongly supported the Texas project for job creation and tax benefits, but strong public resistance from Abilene to Sulphur Springs forced him to change course. He has introduced new standards, instructing the utility commission and grid to protect residents from cost impacts, suggesting a ban on development in rural areas and requiring projects to be audited first; earlier this month, his government halted about 1,800 data center projects. In his view, the resistance comes from building too quickly and developers not seeking community support first — "gaining the support of local residents is crucial."
