The White House’s new plan to fast-track AI data centers has critics worried about harms to the climate and environment, especially if the administration makes good on its bid to build on public lands and formerly polluted sites.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at speeding the permitting process for artificial intelligence data centers, arguing the action is needed to establish global dominance in the sector. Trump’s plan seeks to make American technology the foundation for AI worldwide, which requires ensuring the US has enough power to run energy-hungry data centers.
The move to accelerate permitting ...