President Joe Biden signed an executive order on January 14 aimed at boosting the construction of artificial intelligence infrastructure on federal land.
“We will not let America get ahead of itself when it comes to the technology that will define the future,” Biden said in a statement.
The order directs the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy to identify at least three sites on federal land they manage that could be leased to house AI data centers. It also directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify sites it manages that could be used to develop clean energy generation to power data centers on federal lands.
After the sites are selected, the agencies will begin a competitive process for proposals from companies that want to build and operate data centers. The order sets a goal of starting construction in early 2026 for operations to begin in late 2027.
The order also sets requirements for interested developers. They will need to bring enough clean energy generation online to fully power their data centers, possibly using BLM land. Developers will also have to pay for all AI and energy infrastructure costs to avoid rising electricity prices for consumers.
Developers must also plan to “use high labor standards that help ensure continuous, high-quality work,” Biden’s statement continued, such as using a project labor agreement and paying prevailing wages. There is also a requirement that data center owners use “an appropriate portion” of domestically produced semiconductors.
To help speed development, federal agencies should begin environmental site reviews before project selection, improve the permitting process for geothermal projects, advance the location of clean energy sources at interconnection points of the existing grid and support the development of nuclear power, according to the order. It also directs agencies to work with manufacturers of equipment such as transformers to ensure there is sufficient supply for projects, and to work with utilities to help interconnect infrastructure to the power grid.
“This renewed partnership between government and industry will ensure that America continues to lead the age of AI,” Biden said in his statement.
