The US Department of Energy (DoE) is accelerating AI development by offering four federal sites for private sector datacenters and energy projects. Following executive orders, these sites aim to enhance AI processing capabilities. The confirmed locations are Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and Savannah River Site, where private companies are invited to establish AI datacenters and supporting energy facilities, including nuclear power.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized the strategic use of DoE land to propel the US to the forefront of AI and energy technologies, harkening back to the historic Manhattan Project. Oak Ridge, notably part of the original atomic bomb project, now hosts the Frontier exascale supercomputer and nuclear facilities.

These sites are strategically chosen to accommodate state-of-the-art datacenters and energy production, addressing national security and energy cost concerns. Wright noted significant interest from potential partners, signaling broad support for harnessing these resources.

With a directive to prepare for advanced nuclear technologies by 2027, details on project scope and partner selection are forthcoming. The initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to energy exploration and AI infrastructure on federal lands under relaxed regulatory constraints.