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Trump Administration Is Repurposing Federal Land for A.I. Data Centers
The New York Times • • business
Key Points:
- The Trump administration plans to convert large federal lands, including retired Cold War-era facilities, into massive AI data center campuses to boost AI development and address local opposition to such projects.
- The Energy Department announced a $100 billion project to redevelop a former uranium enrichment site in Paducah, Kentucky, into an AI data center with 2 gigawatts of natural gas power and 2.6 gigawatts of battery storage, funded privately through partnerships with NextEra Energy, Brookfield, and local utilities.
- This Paducah project follows similar plans to repurpose Cold War facilities in Piketon, Ohio, for a 10-gigawatt data center, and in Savannah River, South Carolina, for a potential 1-gigawatt data center powered by gas and nuclear energy.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized leveraging federal assets to increase power generation, create jobs, and maintain U.S. leadership in the AI race.
