WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration is approving plans for energy facilities to power data centers in "a matter of weeks." He stated that tech companies could use nuclear, oil, and gas energy, but not wind energy. "We don't allow wind," he said. "Wind is terrible, it just doesn't work." The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that wind energy generates a tenth of the electricity in the U.S.

Trump said he was surprised by the amount of energy required for artificial intelligence development. He stated that leaders from major technology companies informed him they would need to double the country's current energy capacity to advance AI technologies. He cited Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, who reportedly told him that tech companies were not utilizing the administration's promise of fast approvals for private power plants. Trump said he contacted Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Elon Musk of SpaceX to inquire why they had not submitted plans. "They thought we were kidding," he said.

The Trump administration announced last month that it would not establish nationwide environmental requirements or recommendations for the data center industry. An Environmental Integrity Project report detailed plans for 74 new or expanded methane gas plants nationwide to serve data centers, which are projected to generate 143 gigawatts of electricity. Of these, 32 are in Texas, 10 are in Ohio, and seven are in Pennsylvania. The organization also reported that these power plants could release nearly 662 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution annually.

Jen Duggan, Executive Director for the Environmental Integrity Project, stated, "While data centers may be needed to accommodate shifts in technology, the public has a right to transparency and accountability, clean air, and common sense controls to protect water supplies, especially in areas already struggling with water shortages." Clara Vondrich, Senior Policy Counsel for Public Citizen's Climate Program, stated, "Big Tech executives have lobbied hard to ingratiate themselves into the Trump administration's orbit."

Why It Matters

President Trump's statements indicate a federal approach to meeting the energy demands of the artificial intelligence industry by prioritizing fossil fuels and nuclear power while rejecting wind energy. This directive offers expedited approval for energy facilities, potentially impacting the timeline for data center development across the country. The Environmental Integrity Project's findings show the potential environmental implications of this approach, with a large number of new gas plants planned and substantial projected greenhouse gas emissions.

The move also suggests a coordinated effort between the administration and major technology companies to address energy supply for AI. The administration's decision not to set nationwide environmental regulations for data centers allows states and communities to determine their own standards for pollution and water usage.