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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org<\/p>\n
The Department of the Air Force is inviting artificial intelligence companies to submit proposals to build potentially a dozen data centers on 4,700 acres located across Air Force and Space Force installations in Alaska, according to an April 10 announcement<\/a>. The move is part of a larger White House push to beef up the nation\u2019s infrastructure to support the growing need for AI technology.<\/p>\n Along with releasing an April 10 request for lease proposal<\/a>, the service will host an April 23 industry day to discuss plans for building data centers across three Alaska installations, according to the announcement:\t\t<\/p>\n Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson<\/p>\n Clear Space Force Station<\/p>\n Eielson Air Force Base <\/p>\n After the event, interested companies may participate in site visits at Elmendorf Richardson on April 28, Clear on April 29, and Eielson on April 30.<\/p>\n Twelve parcels have been identified for potential development, the announcement states, adding that the selected developer \u201cwill be responsible for all aspects of the project, including financing, permitting, construction and long-term operation of the facilities,\u201d according to the announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a unique opportunity for a true public-private partnership,\u201d Robert Moriarty, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations, said in the announcement. \u201cBy making this land available, we are supporting the growing demands of the AI industry while generating value that directly supports our missions and the readiness of our Airmen and Guardians.\u201d<\/p>\n The move follows a similar announcement in March that the Army has selected two companies<\/a> to enter into exclusive negotiations to build and operate a commercial hyperscaled data center on about 1,384 acres on Fort Bliss, Texas,\u00a0and another on approximately 1,201 acres at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Air Force previously announced in October<\/a> that it is offering space on five other installations for companies to build AI data centers. In an Oct. 15 notice<\/a>, the service announced it is seeking proposals from industry to lease parcels of land for up to 50 years at:\t\t<\/p>\n Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. \u00a0<\/p>\n Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.\u00a0<\/p>\n Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.\u00a0<\/p>\n Robins Air Force Base, Ga.\u00a0<\/p>\n In January, a trio of tech firms\u2014OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank\u2014joined Trump at the White House to announce they were creating a new company, Stargate, that would invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n AI data centers house the computing hardware and other IT infrastructure needed to process information and\u00a0deliver AI applications to users<\/a>. They range in size, but can span hundreds of acres and consume large amounts of electricity and water.\u00a0<\/p>\n The service has been studying potential locations to host AI\u00a0data centers since early this year, following an executive order\u00a0issued by Trump in January\u00a0<\/a>that directed the Secretary of Defense to \u201cidentify suitable sites on military installations\u201d for the infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\n The April 10 lease opportunity announcement \u201csignals a strategic effort by the service to leverage its real estate portfolio for technological advancement while creating new economic opportunities,\u201d the announcement states.<\/p>\n The announcement added that the \u201cAir Force cannot afford to disregard or discount the value of any asset, and we must optimize the real and potential value of those assets.\u201d\t\t<\/p>\n Companies have until May 29 to submit proposals. Deadlines for registration are April 16 for the virtual event and April 20 for the site tours.<\/p>\n AI data centers have been a source of controversy in local communities, where residents have sometimes protested their construction over concerns about water and electricity consumption.<\/p>\n The state of Virginia, which has the\u00a0highest concentration of data centers<\/a>\u00a0globally, funded an\u00a0independent study,<\/a>\u00a0which found that by 2040, residents\u2019 energy bills could increase by $14 to $37 more per month, Task and Purpose reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n