US Plans to Develop AI Projects on DOE Lands
The DOE under President Trump has earmarked 16 federal sites to develop AI infrastructure amid a surge in power demand, with plans to expedite permitting and potentially integrate nuclear energy. Public-private partnerships are being solicited as efforts aim for launch by late 2027.
Published on April 4, 2025
The U.S. Department of Energy under President Donald Trump has identified 16 potential federal sites—including locations at the Idaho National Laboratory and facilities in Kentucky and Ohio—to develop AI infrastructure such as data centers and power plants. This push comes as modern AI systems drive the first significant increase in U.S. power demand in 20 years, prompting officials to compare the initiative to a WWII-era Manhattan Project. The sites, many of which had been contaminated by Cold War-era activities yet later repurposed for clean energy projects under President Biden, are now eyed for swift development and streamlined permitting.
The DOE’s initiative, reported in early April 2025 by multiple news agencies including Reuters and the Associated Press, also aims to possibly expedite nuclear energy projects, though full details on fast-tracking nuclear plant approval remain unclear due to regulatory oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The department is actively inviting input from private companies and the public, with the goal of launching operations by late 2027 to meet rising demands and secure a competitive edge in AI development.