The US government allows the Master Data Center Regulation to expire

US government Quietly plans to allow a rule setting federal standards Data center The use and operations, known as the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act (FDCEA), will end, according to sources who spoke to WIRED. Neither Congress nor the Trump administration appear to be taking significant steps to protect or extend the base, or develop alternative plans.

Data centers have become a Hot issue In recent months, with the technology industry’s interest in AI and A.I Infrastructure There is a need for power He – she. According to A Gallup poll As of May, more than 70% of Americans oppose building data centers, the energy- and water-intensive buildings fueling the artificial intelligence boom, in their communities. from Utah to Georgiaresidents from across the political spectrum united to express their resistance to the construction of the data center.

Despite the public backlash, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the government agency that sets guidance on how agencies should implement policies in line with the president’s agenda, offers no plans for how federal agencies will manage the lapse or continue implementing reports outside the law’s timeline. Current and former staff at the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration (GSA) say this suggests the Trump administration is willing to take a more hands-off approach to monitoring and regulating data centers.

The alternative to the requirements under the FDCEA would have been, in other administrations, in effect for several months before it expired. Not having any kind of plan is highly uncommon, says an employee at GSA, the agency that oversees government IT services and helps implement the FDCEA. The employee spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

“Never in the history of data center policies has a policy expired without another policy being painstakingly worked on for three years behind the scenes,” says the GSA employee. “Technology has changed a lot, and it’s not about getting everything right, it’s about doing their best and updating a new policy. They claim they will make sure private companies pay their share of the fare, but they haven’t explained how they will do that.”

As the federal government continues to push agencies to adopt AI tools, demand for data centers and other technology infrastructure is expected to grow. The Electric Power Research Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, Estimates By 2030, data centers could consume at least 9% of electricity in the United States.

WIRED reached out to the offices of three senators who originally sponsored the FDCEA about plans, if any, to replace or revamp the law.

There has been a flurry of data center-related legislation introduced in Congress this year, from bills mandating environmental audits of data centers to bills designed to… Local moratorium protection. However, none of these bills appear to be designed to meet the requirements in the FDCEA, nor do they specifically address federally operated or leased data centers.

“Data centers across the country hold important and sensitive information, and we need to make sure they are protected from increasing cyber threats and natural disasters,” Senator Jacky Rosen, who sponsored the FDCEA when it was passed in 2023, told WIRED in an email statement. “My team and I recognize that the federal Data Center Strengthening Act is set to expire this fall and are examining all options to ensure Americans’ personal information held in data centers continues to be secure.” However, Rosen’s office did not clarify the details of these plans.