The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking bids to build an artificial intelligence (AI) data center and supporting energy infrastructure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Oak Ridge – DOE’s largest national lab – was one of four sites selected earlier this year to move forward with planned AI data centers after DOE released a list of potential sites on federal lands.
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders earlier this year to boost AI innovation and expand energy capacity for data centers. He also directed the development of AI data centers and supporting infrastructure across all states and the District of Columbia, except Alaska and Hawaii.
In its request for proposals, DOE said it specifically wants proposals that use geothermal and nuclear technologies to “integrate innovative energy generation and storage technologies with the AI data center infrastructure.”
The Trump administration has touted nuclear energy as a primary source of power for its planned AI data centers, with an order from the White House in May outlining a plan to accelerate nuclear energy development by fourfold over current production levels.
Any companies that submit a proposal must be responsible for “designing, financing, permitting, developing, constructing, installing, owning, maintaining, operating, and decommissioning AI data center and/or energy generation infrastructure,” DOE said.
Companies must also provide data interoperability and cybersecurity compliance, meet sustainability metrics in all proposals, and ensure they are mitigating environmental harms.
DOE said it is looking for proposals from organizations with demonstrated expertise in AI, high-performance computing, and energy infrastructure, and those capable of collaborating with national labs. The proposals are due by Dec. 1.
Previously, DOE noted that industry members who partner with the department to build out and manage these data centers will gain access to “world-class research facilities” located on the data center sites.