President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that directs agencies to make federal sites available for artificial intelligence data centers and clean power facilities as part of efforts to accelerate AI infrastructure development.
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DOD, DOE to Select Sites for AI Data Centers
The White House said Tuesday that the EO directs the departments of Defense and Energy to select sites where industry can establish AI data centers and clean power facilities based on the sites’ accessibility to high-capacity transmission infrastructure and minimized adverse effects on the natural environment and communities.
By Feb. 28, the secretaries of DOD and DOE should each identify a minimum of three sites on federal lands that may be suitable for them to lease to nonfederal entities for the construction and operation of AI data centers and clean energy facilities by the end of 2027.
By the end of March, the DOD and DOE secretaries should coordinate to launch competitive solicitations for proposals to lease the identified sites for building, owning and operating large-scale AI infrastructure.
Interior Department to Identify Lands for Clean Energy Generation
By mid-March, the secretary of the Department of the Interior should identify lands it oversees that are suitable for clean energy generation and can support AI data centers on federal sites while improving permitting processes for geothermal projects.
Lease Obligations for AI Developers on Federal Sites
The EO outlines contractual obligations that the Pentagon and DOE will impose on AI developers on federal sites.
Such obligations include purchasing new clean energy generation resources that could support the data centers, assessing the national security implications of AI models developed on federal sites and procuring an appropriate share of domestically produced semiconductors.
Register now to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20, to hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from industry and government experts.
