Trump defends AI data center buildout amid pushback
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for data center projects in a radio interview that aired on Sunday. The segment was hosted by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who had testified against him in a high-profile 2024 trial. The discussion, which was taped on Wednesday, also covered other topics besides data centers. Artificial intelligence infrastructure […] The post Trump defends AI…
In a recent radio interview, U.S. President Donald Trump defended the expansion of data center projects, speaking with former attorney Michael Cohen. The interview, initially taped on Wednesday, also addressed other subjects. The topic of AI infrastructure, however, has drawn significant criticism due to concerns about environmental impact, electricity costs, and grid stability. In response, several local and state governments have temporarily halted construction on new data centers.
Trump argued that communities that refrain from hosting data centers are making a mistake. He explained that these projects create temporary construction jobs and long-term employment opportunities, contributing to the tax revenue of the area. For example, OpenAI Group PBC's upcoming Ohio campus is projected to generate 35,000 construction jobs over six years, with approximately 2,500 permanent positions upon completion.
Trump also praised AI companies for building their own power plants, describing them as "beautiful." In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exempted data center power plants from the Acid Rain Program, granting companies greater flexibility in their construction plans. OpenAI's Ohio campus, set to be powered by a $33 billion dedicated plant, will draw electricity from this new facility. The company has also invested $4 billion in power transmission lines and related infrastructure.
Meta Platforms Inc. recently announced plans to construct an additional 10 power plants for its Hyperion data center cluster, totaling 10 gigawatts of computing equipment. Trump's interview with Cohen occurred shortly after Texas Governor Greg Abbott criticized AI data center operators for contributing to their own problems, leading to backlash.
Abbott had previously ordered a temporary pause on new data center projects, citing concerns about grid reliability. Other states, including New York and Pennsylvania, have recently restricted AI infrastructure projects due to similar reasons.
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