Trump administration excluded itself Vision for AI Infrastructure in the US last week. This is a dream for fossil fuels and chemical industries – and a bad dream for wind and solar energy and environment.
One “AI action plan“And Donald Trump had a harassment of executive orders last week as the manifesto on making AI Low “awake” And Low regulatedThey are packed with head-spinning proposals to destroy bedrod environmental security in the US, as fast as they can make new data centers, power plants, pipelines and computer chip factories at the top of the incentive for companies.
It is a deragulation competition and a huge handout for fossil fuels, all in the name of AI.
AI scheme is using “what is actually” unprecedented ” Emergency To give a large -scale new exemption for data centers and especially fossil fuel infrastructure, “Consumer Advocacy Group says Tyson Slokam, director of the public citizen’s energy program.” I think they have real interest in adjusting Big Tech’s preferences. But this is the opportunity to marry their priorities for big oil. ,
“This is the opportunity to marry your priorities for big oil.”
The data centers are notorious energy-boring and have already led one Bounce New gas projects To meet the growing demand. But many technical companies have stability commitments that they have promised to meet using renewable energy, and as wind and solar farms have generally made cheaper and easier than fossil fuel power plants, they have become the fastest growing sources of new electricity in the US. Now, Trump wants to change it on his head.
They signed executive Order On July 23, the “Xerite (E) Data Center was the federal permission of the infrastructure”. It asks the Commerce Secretary to “start an initiative to provide financial assistance” for data centers and related infrastructure projects. This may include loans, grants and tax incentives for energy infrastructure – but not for solar and wind energy. The executive order “covered components” as “natural gas turbines, coal power equipment, nuclear power tools, geothermal power equipment” and any other power sources “Remittable“To be considered remittable, operators must be able to ramp power generation up and down, so it excludes Intermittently Renewing such as solar and wind energy that naturally raise ups and days with weather and day time.
Trump’s AI planning document says that the administration will prioritize deployment of dispatchable power sources and “We will continue to reject radical climate dogma.” Already, Trump has settled the killer’s blow for solar and wind projects Hiking of tariffs And Biden-grade credit for renewalThe AI Executive Order goes even further to dependence on fossil fuels and makes it hard to walk on solar and wind energy for new data centers.
“Right now, you do not qualify for early treatment if your data center has air and solar. It is excluded from favorable treatment,” says Slokam. “So what is the statement for the market? Don’t trust air and solar.”
This is not only environmentally, it is disabled – considering the current Backlog for gas turbine And because fossil fuel plants usually occur To build slow and more expensive Compared to onshore wind and solar farms. “This is not an energy abundance agenda. It is an energy stupid agenda,” says Slokam.
The Trump administration wants to speed up things by re -writing the Bedrock Environmental laws. Trump, sometimes disgruntled real estate is Mogul, Rail against environmental reviews He says that it takes a long time and costs too much. He has already worked retreat Dozens of environmental regulations Since entering the office. Now, the Executive Order directs the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to intensify permission for data center projects to amend the rules under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Superfund law, and toxins.
Judith Barish, coalition director of Chips Communities United, says, “These (law) protect our public health. They protect our children. They protect the air that we breathe and the water we drink, the national alliance, which includes a national alliance, includes a national alliance, which includes labor and environmental groups.
“This is an energy stupid agenda.”
The alliance has come together to fight for safety for workers in the chip industry and nearby communities. There is a long history of semiconductor manufacturing Harmful chemicals And Employees highlighting breeding health toxinsThe House of Santa Clara, California, Silicon Valley, resulted in more toxic superfund sites in the US than any other county. The coalition wants to prevent history from repeating itself as the US tries to revive domestic chip construction and dominate the AI market.
AI requires more powerful chips, and Trump’s executive order includes semiconductors and “semiconductor materials” for data center projects for fast-tracking federal permission. Rain says that “a chip factory is a chemical factory” because all industrial solvents and other chemicals use semiconductor manufacturers. Which includes “Chemicals forever“For which Trump administration has On how much permission has been given in drinking water, it started loosening the rulesCompanies including 3m and DuPont have faced a landslide Cases Forever cancer, reproductive risk, liver damage, and other health issues are on chemicals, and later pledges phase out Or Fall down Chemicals. Now, the manufacturer Jump on the occasion of producing chemicals more forever to feed AI Craze,
The irony is that we can see data centers and related infrastructure poppy on polluted superfund sites that Silicon Valley has already left in its track. Trump’s executive order directed EPA to identify pollutes Super fund And Brown Sites that can be reused for new data center projects (and tells other agencies to earn federal land for military sites and appropriate places).
Office buildings are already located on old superfund sites, where cleanliness is going on; Google was a worker In contact with toxic vapor arising from a superfund site Below his office in 2013. Since a site can take decades to completely remove, the oversight is important. “Especially for superfund sites, these are the most contaminated sites in the country, and it is important that there are comprehensive reviews for both people who are going to work on sites, as well as for those who surround them, who are a research scientist of the Silent Spring Institute who has studied superfund sites.
But Trump wants to destroy the oversite for new data center projects that receive federal support – “adding”Graded exclusion“For typical National environmental policy act assessmentThe environmental review that happens can also be limited by sheer Lack of people Trump administration is among federal agencies The pieces were hacked, EPA including,
Trump said before signing his AI executive orders last week, “The US requires new data centers, new semiconductor and chip manufacturing facilities, new power plants and transmission lines.” “Under my leadership we are going to complete that work and this is being done with certainty and environmental protection and we have to do it with all those things to complete it properly.” You get success.
