EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says he’s all in on artificial intelligence, especially to fast-track environmental permits for data center expansion. And the agency’s top AI officials say integration of the new technologies at EPA doesn’t stop there.
EPA has recorded 103 instances where AI systems have been implemented, designed or conceptualized, according to the agency’s internal AI use case inventory, reviewed by POLITICO’s E&E News. EPA reported 17 AI use cases in December 2024.
“At EPA, we’re embedding innovation into our systems, not resisting it. From AI tools that speed up environmental reviews to smarter monitoring and emissions tracking, we’re moving fast,” Zeldin said at an America First Policy Institute summit in May, according to talking points released via the Freedom of Information Act.
EPA’s justification for its fiscal 2026 budget request includes other clues about just how expansive the Trump administration’s goals are when it comes to weaving AI into government agency processes.
