Nelson wrote on Instagram: “I grew up in Abbott, and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night. And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land. The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter.)”
The singer said he believed the expansion of industrial-scale facilities threatened farmland and the livelihoods of agricultural communities.
Nelson added: “The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints. It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land. All of America deserves thoughtful stewardship that doesn’t steal farmland (where our essential shared food is grown) and small family farmers’ livelihoods, and not data centers that only destroy the environment around them.”
Nelson also warned access to food and water should remain a national priority as technological development accelerates.
He said: “Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses. Let’s not allow our own demise or give up control over necessary resources in the U.S. and especially in Abbott.”