House Passes Bill To Ease Permits For Building Out AI Infrastructure
The House of Representatives advanced legislation last week aimed at accelerating federal permitting for artificial intelligence infrastructure, a move supporters argue is essential to keeping the United States competitive with China and other global rivals in the rapidly evolving AI race.
The measure, known as the SPEED Act, passed narrowly by a 221–196 vote after surviving a procedural showdown that nearly derailed it amid conservative opposition, CNBC reported. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to be folded into broader negotiations over long-overdue permitting reform.
Major technology firms, including OpenAI, Micron, and Microsoft, have lined up behind the SPEED Act, viewing streamlined permitting as critical to expanding data centers and other power-intensive AI facilities.
Backers of the legislation argue that America’s national security and economic future depend on its ability to build energy and technology infrastructure quickly and efficiently.
“The electricity we will need to power AI computing for civilian and military use is a national imperative,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., the bill’s sponsor and chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
At the heart of the bill is a reform of the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which currently mandates extensive federal environmental reviews for major projects. The SPEED Act would reduce the statute of limitations for NEPA-related lawsuits from six years to just 150 days and impose stricter timelines on agency reviews—changes conservatives have long argued are necessary to curb regulatory abuse and activist litigation.
Ironically, persistent delays plaguing Democrat-backed clean energy projects have helped generate bipartisan interest in permitting reform, even as the broader regulatory state continues to choke off infrastructure development.
With AI emerging as a dominant industry and massive data centers placing increasing strain on the nation’s electric grid, pressure has mounted on Congress to act decisively.
The legislation would allow the United States to be “nimble enough to build what we need, when we need it,” according to Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, the bill’s Democratic co-sponsor.
Still, most Democrats voted against the SPEED Act, demanding that any permitting overhaul reverse President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to rein in offshore wind projects and other renewable energy initiatives that have drawn criticism for their environmental, economic, and national security implications.
Tensions escalated after GOP leadership added language shielding President Trump’s actions on renewable energy from provisions in the bill that would restrict the White House’s authority to revoke permits it deems problematic. That move further solidified Democratic opposition.
The amendment was added only after a floor standoff during a procedural vote, in which conservatives skeptical of renewable energy demanded concessions in exchange for their support.
“That provision codifies a broken permitting status quo. I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle in the Senate to craft a bipartisan product that can become law,” said Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who favors permitting reform but voted against the SPEED Act.
The legislative push comes as the Trump administration ramps up its broader AI strategy. Earlier this month, the administration announced the creation of the “U.S. Tech Force,” a new initiative that will deploy approximately 1,000 engineers and technology experts across the federal government to support artificial intelligence infrastructure and other critical tech projects.
According to an official government website, participants will commit to a two-year term working in teams that report directly to agency leadership, in “collaboration with leading technology companies.”
Those private-sector partners include Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Palantir, Salesforce, and numerous others.
As the United States competes with China for dominance in AI, the Trump administration has intensified its focus on strengthening domestic infrastructure and talent pipelines, the Tech Force initiative states.
The program was unveiled just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a national AI policy framework—a move that drew resistance from industry leaders and left-leaning states pushing for their own regulatory regimes.
After completing their two-year service, Tech Force members will be eligible to apply for full-time positions with participating private companies, while employees from those firms may also be nominated for temporary government service.
“We’re trying to reshape the workforce to make sure we have the right talent on the right problems,” U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor recently told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”