There is no hotter debate unfolding across rural America than the expansion of data center infrastructure. Here in Texas, I have been hearing from folks who are raising legitimate concerns about water use, electricity demand, landowner rights, and whether massive Big Tech companies can be trusted to operate responsibly. I understand those concerns because I share many of them myself.

The scale and coordination of the rural backlash against data centers is impossible to ignore. The passion is real, and the movement has become increasingly bipartisan, drawing support from both conservatives and liberals alike. The result is a growing wave of opposition that is beginning to stop many of these projects before they ever get off the ground, with calls for moratoriums across the nation.