The Department of Energy said Thursday it has selected four sites to potentially build data centers on federal land, adding to administration efforts to boost artificial intelligence.
The sites — the Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site — are “well-situated for large-scale data centers, new power generation and other necessary infrastructure,” DOE said in a release.
“By leveraging DOE land assets for the deployment of AI and energy infrastructure, we are taking a bold step to accelerate the next Manhattan Project — ensuring U.S. AI and energy leadership,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. The department said it would be inviting private sector partners to develop data center and energy generation projects.
The plan aims to address one of the largest challenges facing the energy sector: how to find enough electricity to support a technology boom and ensure the United States stays competitive with China in developing AI technologies. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, data centers could consume roughly 12 percent of U.S. electricity by 2028.
