Congress moves to ban AI data centers from federal lands
H.R. 9939 — No AI Data Centers on Federal Lands Act · Filed by Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prohibits the construction and operation of artificial intelligence data centers on all federal lands and requires any existing AI data centers on federal property to be shut down and removed within 30 days. The bill defines AI data centers broadly to include any facility with over 20 megawatts of power capacity or advanced cooling systems, and requires removal to comply with environmental cleanup laws.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a categorical prohibition on a specific industrial use (AI data centers) on federal property, coupled with a mandatory removal requirement. This is a land-use and environmental protection measure, not a subsidy, tax carve-out, or deregulation.
What the text implies
- Removal requirement may trigger significant environmental remediation costs borne by federal agencies, potentially diverting funds from other priorities.
- Broad definition of 'associated infrastructure' (transmission lines, power substations, natural gas plants) may affect non-AI energy projects on federal lands if they share facilities with AI operations.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill protects federal lands from industrial development and environmental degradation, a public benefit. However, it may increase AI infrastructure costs and energy prices for consumers by restricting where data centers can be built, and it forecloses potential federal revenue from leasing federal lands for data center operations.