Trump Administration Rolls Back EPA Rules to Speed AI Data Center Buildout
Former officials at the Environmental Protection Agency are warning that the Trump administration is weakening environmental protections in order to accelerate the construction of AI data centers, putting Americans' health at risk. In a briefing and a new report, the group of EPA alumni are urging the president to adopt a "Data Center Health Protection Pledge" to signal that the administration takes the environmental threat seriously, though they acknowledge the appeal may be futile.
Early in his term, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin declares his goal of making America "the AI capital of the world" through deregulation. Since then, Zeldin and the White House roll back dozens of environmental rules while cutting staff and funding at the agency. The former officials argue that the EPA, which was created to protect human health and the environment, is no longer serving as the watchdog it should be.
Because of the deregulation push and attacks on renewable energy, the wave of new AI data centers increasingly runs on dirty energy, according to the report. The former officials warn that this pollution can affect the health of Americans even if they do not live near a data center, as emissions from power generation travel far beyond the facilities themselves.