An executive order and a $100 billion Kentucky data center project mark the latest steps in the Trump administration’s plan to accelerate the construction of AI infrastructure by opening federal land and shortening permitting timelines. Environmental groups have already launched legal challenges.
The Trump administration signaled plans to aggressively accelerate construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers by opening federal lands to massive technology campuses and fast-tracking environmental approvals.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last week announced it will convert the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky into a $100 billion AI data center campus powered by 2 gigawatts of natural gas generation and 2.6 gigawatts of battery storage.
The project is the third former Cold War nuclear site the administration has targeted for AI development this year.
“The U.S. government is leveraging its assets — like our federal lands — to add power generation, create jobs, and ensure the United States wins the AI race,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in announcing the Kentucky project.
In July 2025, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order to dramatically accelerate federal permitting for AI data centers and the energy infrastructure needed to support them.
According to the fact sheet released with the order, the U.S. must remove regulatory barriers if it wants to remain globally competitive in the AI race and protect U.S. economic and national security.
PERCEPTION RESET 