Oregon Sens. Wyden and Merkley join California Sen. Padilla in demanding answers from Trump administration over controversial plans to turn public lands into data center sites

Oregon – Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are demanding that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum halt the Trump administration’s efforts to develop data centers on federal public lands, raising concerns about private companies gaining access to nearly 18,000 acres across six Western states. The two Democratic senators joined California Sen. Alex Padilla in sending a letter to Burgum on October 29, questioning his involvement in the proposed developments and demanding greater transparency about meetings between the Interior secretary and data center developers.

The lawmakers said recently released internal calendars showed that Burgum had repeatedly met with technology executives and data center developers while the administration was pursuing projects on public lands. They argued that the timing of those meetings raises questions about his role in helping arrange the deals. Oregon Sens. Wyden and Merkley demand answers from Trump administration over plans to use public lands for data centers Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are demanding that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum halt the Trump administration’s efforts to develop data centers on federal public lands, raising concerns about private companies gaining access to nearly 18,000 acres across six Western states.

Photo Courtesy – Sen. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) via X / PrtScr Video – https://x.com/RonWyden/status/1988029937413185657/video/1

The two Democratic senators joined California Sen. Alex Padilla in sending a letter to Burgum on October 29, questioning his involvement in the proposed developments and demanding greater transparency about meetings between the Interior secretary and data center developers. The lawmakers said recently released internal calendars showed that Burgum had repeatedly met with technology executives and data center developers while the administration was pursuing projects on public lands. They argued that the timing of those meetings raises questions about his role in helping arrange the deals. The Washington Sun first reported in September that the Trump administration was considering at least a dozen proposals for data center projects on federal public lands across Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. The projects reportedly cover nearly 18,000 acres and include land that could be used for privately owned data centers and related infrastructure.

According to the newspaper’s review of Burgum’s official calendar, the Interior secretary met with dozens of technology and energy executives during the previous year. Among the meetings was a conversation with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy concerning permitting, infrastructure and technology to support data center growth. The senators questioned why those meetings were taking place while the administration was considering opening federal land to data center developers. “The timing of these meetings taking place concurrently with the administration’s efforts to pursue data center development on public lands raises serious questions about your involvement in these deals,” the senators wrote.

They also criticized what they described as a lack of transparency surrounding the administration’s plans, arguing that Congress has a responsibility to oversee how federal public lands are managed. The lawmakers raised concerns about the potential impact of large-scale data center developments on Western communities, particularly regarding water consumption, electricity costs and access to public lands.

Data centers require substantial amounts of electricity and water to operate, particularly facilities designed to support artificial intelligence systems. The senators warned that increased water demand could worsen drought conditions in Western states that already face pressure on their water resources. They also argued that the projects could drive up energy costs for households and businesses while limiting access to land that Americans currently use for hunting, fishing, recreation and livestock grazing. “Effectively privatizing public lands owned by American taxpayers sends a clear message that the Trump administration continues to prioritize the profits of tech CEOs and shareholders over the American people that rely on public lands for hunting, fishing, recreation, and livestock grazing,” the senators wrote.

The letter also raised concerns about whether the Department of the Interior had adequately consulted Native American tribes or provided local communities with enough information and opportunities to comment on the proposed developments. The senators argued that the potential consequences for surrounding communities cannot be properly evaluated without meaningful consultation and public disclosure of the projects. They demanded that Burgum immediately stop efforts to use public lands for data center development and provide a detailed explanation of his role in the administration’s plans.

The lawmakers requested a written response from the Interior Department by November 16. The controversy has also grown following the release of an updated analysis by the Center for Western Priorities, which identified substantially more potential development activity than initially reported. A report published by The Wildlife Society on October 27 said the Bureau of Land Management was considering at least 35 applications involving data centers and related infrastructure across six Western states, covering more than 24,000 acres of public land.

The analysis identified at least 17 applications for data center campuses, along with 13 additional likely applications for supporting infrastructure such as access roads, water pipelines, telecommunications lines and electricity transmission facilities. The findings were based on publicly available Bureau of Land Management rights-of-way records. The report noted that many of the proposals had not previously been publicly reported and that some local officials were unaware of them.

Importantly, the 24,000-acre figure includes both data center projects and supporting infrastructure, making it broader than the earlier estimate of nearly 18,000 acres associated with the initial group of proposals. The report also noted that there is currently no formal permitting process specifically designed for constructing data centers on federal public lands. Although federal land can be used for several purposes, including energy production, mining and livestock grazing, the legal basis for allowing large data center facilities remains a question. So far, only one data center project on federal public land had received approval, near Boulder City, Nevada. That project was subsequently put on hold pending additional environmental review and a court ruling.

Oregon is among the states affected by the proposals, with federal land in eastern Oregon near Hermiston previously identified as a potential location for development. Wyden has already taken legislative action to oppose the administration’s plans. On September 30, he introduced a bill that would prohibit the construction, sale or transfer of federally owned public lands for the purpose of developing new data centers and associated infrastructure. The senator also attempted to advance the legislation through a fast-track process in the Senate, but Republicans blocked the effort. Wyden argued that public lands belong to American taxpayers and should not be transferred for the benefit of private corporations. The Interior Department declined to comment on the latest letter, telling The Washington Sun that it does not comment on congressional correspondence through the media.

The dispute now puts Burgum under pressure to explain the administration’s meetings with data center developers and provide details about the proposed use of federal land. Wyden, Merkley and Padilla are seeking answers as concerns grow over how much public land could be made available for the rapidly expanding data center industry.