Trump Wants Data Centers on Public Land. A GOP Senator in Idaho Is 'Skeptical.'

Energy attorney Jim Noe was quoted in a POLITICO Pro article about the possibility of developing data centers on federal public lands as demand for infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence (AI) rises. The article examined a proposed project on Bureau of Land Management property near Boise, Idaho, as well as broader questions surrounding environmental review, electricity and water needs, permitting and community participation.

Jim discussed the regulatory aspects developers will need to consider as federal agencies assess data center and related infrastructure proposals across Western states. He said locating data centers on public land could become more common because it "helps alleviate some of the local zoning and local issues that could prevent the construction of a data center if it was on private land." He added, however, that these projects still depend on transmission lines, water lines and other infrastructure connections that require local input and approval.

READ: Trump Wants Data Centers on Public Land. A GOP Senator in Idaho Is 'Skeptical.' (Subscription required)