Sources: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is quietly meeting with AI hyperscalers to advance Trump's push for data centers on federal lands, despite a backlash (The Washington Sun)
The Interior secretary is quietly meeting with AI hyperscalers while seeking to accommodate them on his department's land. — Copy
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has been privately meeting with AI technology leaders to advance President Trump's initiative for constructing data centers on federal lands, despite facing criticism and legal obstacles. The BLM has instructed its state directors to pinpoint federal lands suitable for data center development, and those directors have forwarded the lists to Interior Department leadership.
However, the challenge lies in the fact that these lands are typically remote and lack essential amenities such as electricity and water, and BLM staff lacks the technical expertise to conduct the necessary reviews. The push for data centers on federal lands comes as Interior is planning to reduce its workforce, causing further strain on the remaining staff, who are already occupied with other priorities like oil and gas development, grazing, and mining.
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