Key facts
- The Department of Defense is developing data centers on military installations to power AI technologies.
- Lawmakers are concerned about the significant energy and water consumption of these facilities.
- The Army has entered into agreements with Carlyle Group and CyrusOne for data centers on Fort Bliss and Dugway Proving Ground.
- Several amendments and proposals in Congress aim to require studies, transparency, and mitigation of data center impacts.
- Some proposals seek to prohibit data centers with components from U.S. adversaries or block leases until a strategy is finalized.
Lawmakers in Congress are raising bipartisan concerns about the Department of Defense's initiative to build data centers on military installations to support artificial intelligence technologies, such as drone swarms. Representatives like John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) are questioning whether these facilities, which are significant consumers of energy and water, should be located on military bases and are pushing for greater transparency and planning.
The Pentagon's push for AI infrastructure gained momentum following an executive order from President Donald Trump. The Air Force has identified five installations for private companies to build data centers, and the Army has entered into agreements with Carlyle Group for a facility at Fort Bliss, Texas, and CyrusOne for a facility at Utah’s Dugway Proving Ground. The Army states these projects will incur no upfront cost to taxpayers and will include comprehensive power and water solutions.
However, some lawmakers, particularly Democrats, remain skeptical about these assurances. Reports suggest the Fort Bliss data center alone could require more power than all of El Paso's electricity customers combined. Concerns have also been raised about a lack of adequate briefings from the Department of Defense regarding the enforcement of contracts and the potential impacts on military readiness, base infrastructure, and nearby residents.
In response, Congress has advanced several legislative proposals. Bipartisan amendments have been added to funding bills to mitigate data center impacts on energy, water, grid reliability, and ratepayers. A provision by Rep. Cory Mills aims to prevent DOD from leasing land for data centers that use significant components manufactured by U.S. adversaries. While some Democratic amendments seeking to prohibit data centers on federal lands or mandate efficiency standards were rejected, efforts are ongoing to address these issues through separate bills.