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With growing demand for energy, restrictions on solar and wind projects could create bottlenecks, delays and increased costs for technology companies.
Data center companies in the United States are sounding the alarm over new Trump administration guidelines restricting the development of renewable energy in the United States. The industry, which is already experiencing rapid growth due to the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, fears that the new administration’s energy policy could jeopardize not only the expansion of data centers, but also the U.S.’s strategic position in digital innovation.
Concerns have been heightened by the suspension of clean energy projects on federal lands and the cancellation of initiatives such as Equinor's $5 billion Empire Wind farm. The move also included the end of federal lending to the sector and has put investors, operators and technology infrastructure providers on edge.
Pressure on energy supply
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the additional demand for data centers in the United States by 2030 will be approximately 83,7 gigawatts — the equivalent of building a new power grid for a state the size of Texas. This surge in consumption is directly linked to the advancement of generative AI, which requires large volumes of data, powerful servers and constant operation.
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Industry experts say that the use of renewable energy is essential to power these systems in an economically and environmentally viable way. Without the expansion of these sources, there is a risk of supply bottlenecks, rising costs and dependence on more polluting sources such as gas and coal.
Simon Ninan, senior vice president at Hitachi Vantara, said that “an antagonistic approach to renewable energy could make it impossible to meet the data growth that is happening.” He also warned that the U.S. could jeopardize its leadership in the global AI race as countries like China adopt more proactive strategies to modernize their power grids.
Trump prioritizes fossil fuels and blocks expansion of renewable energy
The Trump administration has advocated for expansion of the use of fossil fuels as a way to ensure energy security in the face of technological advances. In recent statements, White House advisors pointed out that losing AI supremacy to China would be more dangerous than global warming.
The rhetoric is accompanied by concrete measures: in addition to blocking new wind projects in federal areas, the government also interrupted credit lines that supported solar installations and suspended environmental assessments for new projects.
The decisions prompted an immediate reaction from Democratic-led states. This week, a coalition of 17 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block the restrictions on wind power, arguing that investment should continue and jobs should be preserved.
Amazon, Google and Microsoft speak out
Big tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Google — all of which have hyperscale operations — are among those most impacted by the regulatory changes. Amazon Web Services, the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, reiterated that using clean sources is essential to keeping costs low and meeting its climate goals.
Kevin Miller, vice president of global data centers at AWS, said that “renewable energy can often be cheaper than alternatives because there is no need to purchase fuel.” He said the purchase agreements the company signed were advantageous in economic and environmental terms.
Equinix, another digital infrastructure giant, noted that demand for renewable energy has never been higher. Christopher Wellise, the company’s vice president of sustainability, said the new restrictions pose “short- to medium-term challenges” that could affect expansion plans and environmental commitments.
Bottlenecks and risk of delay in renewable energy investments
Companies like Stonepeak, which specializes in real assets and infrastructure, say the market has seen increasing competition for clean energy, but current policies are creating uncertainty. Nick Hertlein, the company’s managing director, stressed that AI development needs to be accompanied by public decisions that enable the growth of the data center sector.
Even as attempts are made to make up for the energy shortfall with gas-fired projects, suppliers including Siemens and GE Vernova have warned that delivery of larger turbines could take until 2029, making expansion slow and costly. That puts further pressure on renewables, which are quicker to install and cheaper to operate.
Rich Powell, CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, put it bluntly: “If we can’t bring in new, lower-cost resources when demand is increasing, we’re going to have to rely more and more on higher-cost resources.”
Small operators are on hold
While large companies have the ability to influence politics or absorb part of the costs, small and medium-sized operators are in a wait-and-see scenario. According to Simon Ninan, these companies are waiting for a possible relaxation of tariffs and the reduction of bureaucracy in clean energy projects before making investment decisions.
Without guarantees of stable and affordable supply, many projects are being postponed or scaled back. In some cases, this may even result in cancellations of planned expansions or interruption of contracts already under negotiation.
State renewable energy scenario is also uncertain
Some US states have also adopted measures that restrict the installation of solar and wind systems. In Texas, the third largest data center market in the US, legislation is being debated that would increase regulation on renewable energy projects, which could directly affect the state's attractiveness for new ventures.
Doug Lewin, president of Stoic Energy, warned that the move could jeopardize a “huge opportunity” for regional data center growth. He said that “Virginia has limited capacity for expansion, and Texas would be a viable alternative, but the proposed bills could eliminate that.”
