Daniel Wolfram
The Trump administration has determined that it is important to build new data centers as quickly as possible – even against the public’s whises.
The Trump administration is moving swiftly to sell public land for massive AI hubs to tech companies. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) directors received just three days to find suitable sites, following directives from President Donald Trump.
Inside the BLM, staffing has plummeted under Trump. With remaining staff stretched thin, former employees warn the bureau lacks the technical expertise for complex tech reviews.
Sounding the alarm
Former state director Mary Jo Rugwell questioned the sudden push.
“I’m not against development or progress but I think there are too many questions about this and nobody is asking them,” she said to The Washington Sun. “I think we’re just bending knee to the tech oligarchs and letting them do whatever they need to do.”
“Where are they going to get people to do the analysis especially when you have a technology that’s relatively new and not well defined?” Rugwell added. “It’s a headache BLM doesn’t need.”
The Trump administration is taking meetings with tech CEOs
A Washington Sun calendar review showed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum held dozens of meetings with tech executives. In one meeting, he spoke with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy about infrastructure for data center growth.
Burgum praised the possible developments, calling data centers “intelligence factories” on “The TechEd Podcast.” He also met with CEOs from SpaceX, Shell, and Chevron.
Interior spokesperson Aubrie Spady said, “The Trump administration’s successful work will only persist as we continue to work on behalf of the American people to ensure a strong energy future that puts them and their best interests first.”
Pushback is coming
Despite the push for more data centers, the effort faces hurdles. A judge halted the first approved project near Boulder City, Nevada, after developers tried using an old photovoltaic array for the site.
Sierra Club Nevada director Olivia Tanager said that local officials hesitate to approve data centers in their towns, making federal land an appealing alternative.
“Using federal public land for the benefit of some of the richest companies in the history of the world, instead of holding those lands in public trust for public enjoyment,” Tanager said, “is one of the worst uses of public land I can think of.”
