Democrat targets Trump’s push for publicly-sited AI data centers
Por Nico Portuondo — POLITICO – TOP Stories
Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus is pushing back on President Donald Trump’s push to expand AI data centers onto federal lands by proposing the projects must undergo extensive environmental review and public-engagement processes.
Titus introduced a bill Wednesday, exclusively shared with POLITICO, that takes aim at Trump’s directiveto speed up data center development on public lands.
“Data centers are proliferating in Nevada and other states,” Titus said. “We need to make sure the public’s voice is heard and that the effects on the environment, water resources and the electric grid are thoroughly assessed and made public.”
The legislation comes as Democrats seek to make regulation of AI and data centers a larger political issue ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans are pushing legislation on Capitol Hill to protect consumers from the costs of data centers, but Democrats argue the bill is wholly insufficient amid the broader picture of existential fears about AI development and the booming power needs of data centers.
The bill would specifically require hyperscale data centers on public lands to undergo a full environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, prohibit the use of categorical exclusions and require at least 45 days of public comment and a public hearing in the affected community, among other provisions.
Trump, for his part, has insisted data centers will lead to richer, more successful Americans and criticized those who object to them.
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Trump said in a recent Truth Social post. “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”
Republicans will vote on their Ratepayer Protection Act on the House floor Wednesday, which would require states to consider — but not mandate they adopt — a federal standard ensuring large power customers cover 100 percent of the costs of new generation and transmission upgrades.
The issue hits close to home for Titus, who faces a tough reelection bid from state Sen. Carrie Buck (R).
In June, the Bureau of Land Management quietly approved the Townsite Data Center project in Nevada, located on 88.5 acres of public land in Boulder City, roughly 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It marks the first data center approval on public lands so far.
“BLM approved the application for the data center project without conducting a new environmental review or gathering community input,” a fact sheet on the bill reads.
Fonte: POLITICO – TOP Stories
