US to develop AI on Energy Department Lands
On Thursday, the administration of Donald Trump announced that it had identified 16 sites in the U.S. Department of Energy where data centers and energy plants to support artificial intelligence could be built.
Why it's important
The rapid growth of AI has led to a boom in the demand for power in the United States, which is unprecedented in 20 years. Big Tech companies and utilities are scrambling to build data centers and new power plants.
The DOE stated that the potential sites were positioned to allow rapid construction of data centers, with in-place infrastructure and the ability for fast-tracking permits for new energy production such as nuclear reactors.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (an independent body that regulates nuclear power) has not yet made it clear how the process of accelerating nuclear power would work.
KEY QUOTE
The Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said, "The race to dominate AI is the next Manhattan Project, and we can win with President Trump and the innovation from our National Labs." He was referring to a secret U.S. program to create the first nuclear weapon in World War Two.
BACKGROUND
The DOE is one the largest land managers in America. These 16 sites include Idaho National Laboratory and facilities in Paducah and Portsmouth, Ohio. Both produced enriched Uranium for commercial and military reactors and nuclear weapons.
Under former president Joe Biden, the DOE claimed that it had identified five sites in Washington, Nevada, South Carolina and other states, which could host clean energy projects, including solar, nuclear and wind power.
The DOE had to clean up the land after it was contaminated with nuclear weapons development and other Cold War work.
WHAT'S NEXT?
DOE encourages private-public partnerships, seeking input from energy developers, data center developers and the general public. It wants to start operations of AI infrastructure by the end of 2027. (Reporting and editing by Elaine Hardcastle, Marguerita Choy, and Timothy Gardner)
(source: Reuters)
