Texas Gov. Greg Abbott once embraced AI data centers as an economic prize. Now, as resistance flares across Texas, he is telling the industry it brought the revolt on itself.
The shift reflects a broader political reversal. In early 2025, Democratic and Republican officials were largely promoting data-center development; recent coverage has tracked a sharp turn toward criticism as the projects’ local costs become harder to ignore.1
Abbott had championed the facilities for construction jobs and potential tax revenue. But communities from Abilene to Sulphur Springs have pushed back against sprawling server complexes, citing pressure on electricity bills and water supplies, environmental effects and noise. Opponents have packed planning meetings, circulated petitions, protested and pursued legal challenges.2
That resistance has put Abbott in a bind. The Trump administration is accelerating AI permitting and backing the proposed $500 billion Stargate buildout, while many Texans remain wary of hosting the infrastructure required to power it. A Gallup survey cited in the reporting found that seven in 10 Americans oppose AI data centers in their own local area, with 48% strongly opposed.2
Abbott has responded with a more restrictive posture: calling for new standards, protections against infrastructure costs being passed to residents, audits before projects proceed and a possible ban on rural developments. Earlier this month, he said his administration had halted about 1,800 proposed AI data-center projects in Texas.2
On ABC’s This Week Sunday, the governor placed the blame squarely on developers’ rush to build: “They basically dug their own grave for the problem that’s been caused for them, and that’s why they got the backlash they deserve.”1 His prescription was equally blunt: “Gaining the support of people in local communities is essential.”2
For the industry, the warning is clear: AI’s physical footprint is becoming a political liability, and local consent—not just federal enthusiasm—may determine how quickly the next wave gets built.