Lawmakers Scrutinize Pentagon Plans for AI Data Centers on Military Bases
Key Takeaways
- •The Department of Defense is leasing military base land to private companies for proposed AI-focused data centers.
- •Lawmakers are concerned that the facilities could significantly increase demand for local power and water resources.
- •Rep. John Garamendi proposed amendments to the House version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act to add checks on the projects.
- •One proposed provision would require the Pentagon to brief Congress on potential community impacts before construction begins.
- •Another proposed requirement would direct the Defense Department to publish annual reports on the effects of the data centers.
Members of Congress are raising concerns over the Pentagon’s efforts to move ahead with data centers intended to support artificial intelligence, according to Politico.
The Department of Defense is already leasing land to private companies for proposed data centers on military bases, Politico reported. The plans have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers who say the facilities could place heavy demands on local water and energy resources.
“It’s just not right for every community,” Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) said, per Politico. “Seemingly, the other side doesn’t want to just admit the reality around resource consumption.”
Lawmakers’ concerns center largely on the amount of electricity and water required by data centers, particularly facilities designed to power AI workloads. AI systems typically require large-scale computing infrastructure, and data centers supporting those workloads need substantial power and cooling capacity. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) proposed amendments to the House version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy bill, that would place checks on the Pentagon’s development of such sites before the effort accelerates, according to Politico.
Garamendi said AI data centers are “extraordinary consumers of both energy and water” and added that “the question arises as to whether they should be on military bases.”
Levin also said Congress had not received enough information from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or the Pentagon about the plans. “A bigger concern is that we haven’t received the appropriate brief” from Hegseth or the Pentagon “about any of this,” Levin said.
One provision sought by lawmakers would require the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the potential effects of military data centers on nearby communities before construction begins, Politico reported. Another would require the DOD to publish annual reports on the impacts of the data centers. The proposed reporting requirements would give lawmakers a formal channel to review how projects on federal military installations could affect surrounding communities before and after development.
“This Congress has an obligation to defend our people,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) said. “Not to stick our heads in the sand or pretend it’s 1946.”