Texas Gov. Abbott says AI data centers must bring their own power, water, or stay out of rural Texas

Texas Gov. Abbott says AI data centers must bring their own power, water, or stay out of rural Texas reports an escalation in Governor Greg Abbott’s criticism of data center expansion. Speaking Tuesday in Bullard, Abbott told The Texas Tribune that rural areas should not absorb the “costs and disruption” associated with large new facilities. He said any future AI data center considering rural Texas must bring its own money, its own power, and reuse its own water, and operate in a way that reduces electricity costs for residents across the state. The move comes as Texas faces a wave of proposed projects, with a Tribune analysis finding roughly half of planned facilities would be built in unincorporated areas versus 12% currently. Polling from the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project shows strong opposition in rural communities, where nearly two-thirds of residents opposed nearby sites.