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Home – Texas Politics & News – Abbott Calls for Ban on AI Data Centers in Rural Texas Neighborhoods

Abbott Calls for Ban on AI Data Centers in Rural Texas Neighborhoods

Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for new AI data centers to be blocked from development in rural neighborhoods across Texas amid growing backlash over their effects on residential communities and water supplies.

During a property tax event in Bullard, a rural community located south of Tyler, Abbott said he would push back against AI data centers seeking to build in neighborhoods, adding that companies should pay their own way. He also said he wants to eliminate the tax breaks companies receive for locating in Texas.

“I’ve made it clear already: Any AI data center thinking about coming here, they have to bring their own money, bring their own power, use their own water, and do it in a way that reduces the cost of electricity for residents across our state,” Abbott said. “We must prohibit them from building AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods, and we must eliminate the tax break they are getting.”

Abbott’s remarks contrast sharply with a November 2025 press release in which he praised AI data centers and called Texas the “epicenter of AI development.”

“This is a Texas-sized investment in the future of our great state,” Abbott said at the time. “Texas is the epicenter of AI development, where companies can pair innovation with expanding energy.” 

“We must ensure that America remains at the forefront of the AI revolution, and Texas is the place where that can........

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