Trump administration rolls back EPA rules, clearing path for polluting AI data centers

Former EPA officials allege that President Trump and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin have pursued a policy of deregulation to make the United States the “AI capital of the world,” cutting staff, funding, and rolling back dozens of environmental rules. Their independent group, the Environmental Protection Network, released a report documenting 30 federal actions since January 2025 that they say heighten health risks from AI data-center emissions, with 17 specifically mentioning AI or data centers.

The administration’s AI Action Plan calls for streamlined permitting and exemptions under the Clean Air, Water, and Superfund laws, facilitating new gas-fired power projects for data centers. Critics cite a study linking AI-related air pollution to up to 1,300 premature deaths and $20 billion in health costs by 2028. The former officials propose a Data Center Health Protection Pledge to reinstate clean-air standards and public reporting. EPA spokesperson Cora Mandy defended the changes as correcting prior overreach while maintaining the agency’s health-protection mission.