DOE Announces Plan For Data Centers On Federal Land
The U.S. Department of Energy is moving forward a Biden-era initiative to expand data center capabilities on federal land, the agency announced Thursday.
The DOE identified 16 potential sites for development of data center construction that include existing infrastructure and the possibility of expedited permitting for new energy sources, including nuclear power.
In addition, the agency released a request for information regarding the possible use of DOE land for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
“The global race for AI dominance is the next Manhattan project, and with President [Donald] Trump’s leadership and the innovation of our National Labs, the United States can and will win,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a release. “With today’s action, the Department of Energy is taking important steps to leverage our domestic resources to power the AI revolution, while continuing to deliver affordable, reliable and secure energy to the American people.”
The sites are distributed across the country, from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, to the Savannah River Site in Georgia.
The effort is connected to executive orders aimed at accelerating American energy production and the advancement of data centers in the country, according to the release.
Data centers and AI have been priorities for Trump in his first months in office. One day into his second term, he gathered tech leaders at the White House to announce a $500B joint venture aimed at private investment in AI infrastructure.
Trump’s two oldest sons announced the creation of their own data center firm in February, though they have since pivoted it to focus on crypto mining.
Thursday’s action dovetails with efforts undertaken by former President Joe Biden to cut back on hurdles to data center development, The Hill reported. Biden signed his own executive order in the final days of his presidency, directing DOE and the Department of Defense to select federal sites that could be leased to companies for data centers.
The order further instructed the Department of the Interior to identify sites for clean energy infrastructure that would support data centers.
Data center development skyrocketed with the public introduction of generative AI in late 2022, but the projects require vast quantities of energy and water, placing strain on local utilities. The properties are still favored targets of developers and investors, but companies have expressed concerns about a bubble forming and there has been some pullback in demand, including by Microsoft.
UPDATE: April 3, 6:25 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with information from the Department of Energy about the locations of the sites identified.
