The Trump administration has identified 16 sites on land owned by the Department of Energy (DoE) that would be suitable to build artificial intelligence data centers, and is calling for input about industry’s interest in operating on those sites.
DoE has been evaluating thousands of acres of Federal land on which to locate data centers, with the aim of finding locations ideal for supporting rapid construction. The decision to use DoE lands was made, in part, to fast-track permitting for new energy generation, including nuclear power, according to the department.
“The global race for AI dominance is the next Manhattan project,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement on April 3. “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.”
Construction could begin by the end of this year, with a target for completion by the end of 2027, following input from data center developers, energy investors and the broader public.
DoE is soliciting input on the AI data center project through an RFI dated March 21. Responses to the RFI are due 30 days after the document’s publication in the Federal Register.
The RFI is seeking to “assess industry interest in developing, operating, and maintaining AI infrastructure on select DOE owned or managed lands, along with information on potential development approaches, technology solutions, operational models, and economic considerations associated with establishing AI infrastructure on DOE sites,” the agency said. The RFI also seeks “input from grid operators that serve DOE sites on opportunities and challenges associated with existing energy infrastructure and potential co-location of data centers with new energy generation.”
Pushing the United States forward in the global AI race has been a priority of the Trump administration and Congress. The DoE’s announcement following two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump intended to boost AI innovation and energy sources to fuel AI power-demands, and a vow he made to utilize the Federal government to power a consortium of artificial intelligence tech firms’ project coined The Stargate Project.
However, questions have arisen from Federal officials and industry alike about whether the country can power the administration’s pushes toward AI innovation, leaving lawmakers split on how to meet AI’s high energy demands.
According to the DoE, U.S. data centers’ total electricity consumption is expected to rise 6 to 12 percent by 2028, compared to 2023 levels.
The agency said that infrastructure it will construct to support the planned AI data centers will include energy supplies and cooling facilities.
Locations pinpointed by the DoE so far include several of its research campuses such as the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, former uranium plants in Kentucky and Ohio, and nuclear sites in South Carolina and Texas.
The Energy Department also noted that industry members who partner with the department would have access to “world-class research facilities” that would be located on the data center sites.