The AI boom needs somewhere to plug in. Increasingly, that somewhere is land owned by the American public.
At least 17 data center campuses and related infrastructure projects are now proposed on US public lands, according to reporting on an analysis from the Center for Western Priorities (CWP). The conservation group’s broader count is even larger. It tallies at least 35 active or pending applications before the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), covering more than 24,000 acres.
What the Center for Western Priorities found
CWP reported its findings on October 20, 2026. The analysis tracks data center campuses and associated infrastructure across federal land in six Western states: Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.
The pace of filings is the striking part. In September 2026, the count stood at roughly 12 proposals covering approximately 17,600 acres.
About a month later, CWP’s count of BLM applications had reached at least 35, with the acreage topping 24,000. Not every application is a standalone campus. Some cover the supporting pieces, such as rights-of-way for power and transmission.
A few names stand out in the filings. Copia Power is linked to multiple right-of-way applications spread across Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho.
Then there is Valar Atomics, which has proposed a nuclear-powered facility in Utah covering more than 9,000 acres.
A federal fast lane, and some speed bumps
Much of this activity traces back to policy. In July 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order designed to speed up permitting for data centers, particularly those tied to artificial intelligence. The order focused especially on facilities drawing more than 100 MW of power.
One previously approved project, an 88.5-acre facility in Nevada’s Eldorado Valley, has been sent back for further environmental review after appeals.
Opposition is organizing
Local and environmental pushback has grown alongside the application count. The concerns tend to cluster around two issues: how much water and energy these facilities consume, and whether the public loses access to land it currently uses.
In Arizona, lawmakers have called for more transparency around the projects. Advocacy groups have gone further, demanding a moratorium on new data center projects over potential strains on local resources.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.