Executive Summary
Plans to pair large data centers with power generation on federal land are taking shape on the ground. On July 20, 2026, the National Nuclear Security Administration selected Amentum to negotiate a phased lease for a proposed 1-gigawatt data center, plus approximately 2 gigawatts of onsite generation, at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. That same month, the Bureau of Land Management announced approval of an 88.5-acre data center near an existing solar facility on public land in Nevada. These actions follow Executive Order 14318, which calls for faster permitting and greater use of federal property for AI infrastructure. Federal ownership can offer unusually large sites near existing energy assets, but a responsible agency’s leasing.
What Happened
Federal agencies began examining their land portfolios for data center development in early 2025. On April 3, the U.S. Department of Energy identified 16 locations that might accommodate AI computing facilities. Several contain transmission connections, existing energy infrastructure or major federal research operations. DOE sought private sector input with the goal of supporting operations at selected locations by the end of 2027.
Executive Order 14318 (Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure) was signed on July 23, 2025, directing agencies to reduce approval barriers and make…
