EPA is turning to local governments as the Trump administration pushes to build data centers required to win the global race for artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday, the agency named 22 state and municipal officials as members of its Local Government Advisory Committee, which included 13 new members and nine returning members. On the panel’s agenda for its public meeting in September is discussion about what local governments face when siting and developing data centers in line with the environment.
The infrastructure necessary for AI has become a hot topic in politics, as voters protest data center projects over worries about high electricity costs as well as growing air and water pollution.
“The synergies between environmental regulations and ensuring responsible performance in future projects are essential to moving America forward while protecting our environment for future generations,” said Ohio’s Clermont County Commissioner David Painter, chair of the advisory committee, in a statement. “This is our number one goal.”
