The White House said the construction of AI data centers will help prevent adversaries from accessing ‘powerful systems to the detriment’ of the U.S. military.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Tuesday to accelerate the construction of large-scale data centers and clean power infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) on federal sites.
Biden, whose presidency will end when President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, said the order will direct the Defense Department (DOD) and Energy Department (DOE) to lease federal sites to the private sector for building AI infrastructure.
The agencies will select sites that are equipped with high-capacity transmission infrastructure and have minimal adverse effects on communities, the natural environment, and commercial resources.
The outgoing president said he aims to speed up the construction of advanced AI infrastructure in the United States “in a way that enhances economic competitiveness, national security, AI safety, and clean energy.”
“Cutting-edge AI will have profound implications for national security and enormous potential to improve Americans’ lives if harnessed responsibly, from helping cure disease to keeping communities safe by mitigating the effects of climate change,” Biden said in a statement. “However, we cannot take our lead for granted. We will not let America be out-built when it comes to the technology that will define the future, nor should we sacrifice critical environmental standards and our shared efforts to protect clean air and clean water.”
The White House stated that federal agencies will review proposals from companies seeking to build and operate large-scale AI infrastructure before granting leases for the selected sites.
The chosen developers will then be required to procure new clean energy generation resources that meet the electricity and capacity needs of their data centers, according to a White House fact sheet.
The Interior Department will also help to identify lands under its management that can be used for building clean energy facilities to power data centers on DOE and DOD sites, while also accelerating the permitting processes for geothermal projects, which could support future AI operations, the White House said.
