The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Friday to expedite federal permitting for artificial intelligence data centers and power projects, advancing a key priority of the Trump administration.
The SPEED Act passed by a 218-to-213 margin, revealing deep partisan divisions on Capitol Hill despite broad recognition of AI’s importance to national security and economic growth. The narrow vote underscores ongoing disagreements over how quickly to streamline environmental regulations.
What the Bill Does
The legislation targets reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, by shortening environmental reviews that have delayed major construction projects. The measure would reduce the statute of limitations for related lawsuits from six years to 150 days.
Supporters argue the changes are necessary to meet surging demand for data centers as artificial intelligence technologies expand. “The expansion of AI computing power for both civilian and military use is a national imperative,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, the Republican lead sponsor.
Industry Support and Opposition
Major technology companies including OpenAI, Micron, and Microsoft publicly backed the bill. However, Democrats largely opposed the final version, warning it could weaken environmental protections.
Rep. Scott Peters of California said the legislation “codifies a broken permitting status quo,” suggesting the Senate may need to pursue a more bipartisan approach. Last-minute amendments from conservative Republicans sought to protect prior executive actions limiting offshore wind and other green energy projects.
The Broader AI Strategy
The House action aligns with a new Trump administration initiative called the U.S. Tech Force, a two-year program designed to recruit approximately 1,000 engineers and technical experts. The effort will modernize federal AI systems through partnerships with Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir.
Together, these measures address two critical barriers to American AI leadership: regulatory delays and shortages of specialized technical talent. The SPEED Act now advances to the Senate, where additional negotiations are anticipated.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Digital team contributed to this report.
