Trump admin says cleaned up superfund sites could be converted into data centers
The Trump administration says cleaned-up Superfund sites could be repurposed for data centers as part of an effort to accelerate contaminated-land reuse. Officials also endorsed an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including nuclear power, to support data center growth, while Virginia faces transmission and electricity challenges.
The Trump administration is promoting cleaned-up Superfund sites as potential locations for data centers, arguing that redevelopment would return long-contaminated properties to productive use while supporting the United States’ national security and economic competition with China in artificial intelligence. EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi said the agency is seeking to speed the cleanup process for more than 1,200 priority sites.
The administration also said data centers should provide their own power and expressed support for nuclear energy, including small modular reactors. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett cited nuclear power as one possible way for Virginia to meet rising data center electricity demand. The report noted that Virginia’s clean-energy requirements leave its data centers reliant on transmission from fossil-fuel-generating states such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania, while residents in Virginia and Maryland have raised concerns about nearby development and forest loss.