At least 17 data center campuses proposed on US public lands, group says
QQQ•At least 35 data center-related applications covering more than 24,000 acres of federal land are pending or active across six Western states, including proposals for at least 17 campuses, a conservation group’s analysis found.
1. Applications across six states
Bureau of Land Management records show at least 17 proposed data center campuses and 13 related infrastructure projects across Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The infrastructure applications include transmission lines, pipelines, telecommunications facilities and access roads; projects include infrastructure tied to a Prometheus Hyperscale facility in Wyoming and work by Copia Power in Arizona, Nevada and Idaho.
2. Public land debate
The applications reflect industry interest in developing AI infrastructure on federal land as the Trump administration seeks to open public lands to more industrial uses. The administration has backed data center expansion as a national priority, while public opposition has grown over electricity demand, water use, wildlife impacts and access to federal lands.
