Last week, the House of Representatives approved a bill designed to facilitate the acquisition of federal permits for the construction of infrastructure related to AI projects. Prominent technology firms such as OpenAI, Micron, and Microsoft endorse the legislation known as the SPEED Act.
The bill was approved by the House with a vote of 221 to 196, notwithstanding a conservative insurrection that nearly thwarted it during a procedural vote, as reported by CNBC. The Senate will now consider the bill, likely as part of a broader discourse regarding modifications to permit regulations.
Proponents of the SPEED Act assert that it is crucial for the United States to surpass China and other international rivals in the pursuit of leadership in artificial intelligence.
“The electricity required to power AI computing for both civilian and military applications is a national imperative,” stated Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., the bill’s sponsor and chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.
The SPEED Act would reform the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act, which mandates federal assessments for projects impacting the environment.
It would reduce the statute of limitations for NEPA litigation from the existing six years to 150 days and impose stricter deadlines for NEPA reviews.
Recent delays in permitting for clean energy projects supported by Democrats have elicited bipartisan backing for reforming the permitting process.
As artificial intelligence has emerged as a significant industry and energy-intensive data centers have increased demands on the electrical grid, there is mounting pressure on Congress to intervene.
The SPEED Act would allow the United States to be “sufficiently agile to construct what we require, when we require it,” as stated by Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, the bill’s Democratic co-sponsor.
Nonetheless, the predominant faction of Democrats opposed the SPEED Act, asserting that any permitting legislation must counteract President Donald Trump’s initiatives to suppress offshore wind and other renewable energy sources.
The GOP leadership’s inclusion of language to exempt Trump’s efforts to obstruct renewables from the SPEED Act’s provisions, which would restrict the White House’s capacity to capriciously revoke undesirable permits, only exacerbated Democratic opposition.
After a standoff on the House floor during a procedural vote, conservatives opposed to renewable energy insisted on concessions in return for their votes, leading to the amendment’s inclusion.
“That provision institutionalizes a flawed permitting status quo.” Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who endorses permitting reform yet opposed the SPEED Act, anticipates collaborating with Senate colleagues from both parties to develop a bipartisan legislative solution.
The “U.S. Tech Force,” a recent initiative introduced by the Trump administration, will engage approximately 1,000 engineers and specialists to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure and other technological projects throughout the federal government.
As stated on an official government website, participants will engage in a two-year employment program, collaborating with teams that report directly to agency leaders in conjunction with prominent technology firms.
The website identifies the “private sector partners” as Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Palantir, Salesforce, among others.
The Trump administration is intensifying efforts to develop America’s AI infrastructure as it competes with China for dominance in the rapidly growing sector, according to the Tech Force.
Four days subsequent to President Donald Trump’s enactment of an executive order establishing a national AI policy framework, which faced opposition from industry leaders and prompted states to formulate their own regulations, the initiative was revealed.
Upon the completion of their two terms, Tech Force members become eligible to apply for full-time positions with companies that have committed to employing program alumni. Employees of private partners may also be appointed to serve terms in the government.
“We are endeavoring to restructure the workforce to ensure the appropriate talent is aligned with the pertinent challenges,” stated U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor in a recent interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
