Data centers take up a lot of space, ranging from tens of thousands of square feet for smaller facilities to more than a million square feet for hyperscale centers. The space is needed not only for the servers but also for additional infrastructure, including power, cooling systems, and security.
The average data center typically has upwards of 5,000 servers, which could still require a considerable portion of an industrial office park. In contrast, hyperscale data centers may take up 30 acres or more. Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers could push that even further, increasing both the physical footprint and the number of servers on site. Data centers operate 24/7, so staffing is needed around the clock, but highly automated facilities can get by with relatively small staffs of around 50 full-time employees.
Beyond the space required, data centers are loud thanks to all the equipment, which is why many communities across the country don’t want these centers in their proverbial backyard.
Fortunately, those issues aren’t a problem for the Department of the Air Force (DAF), which has unused land to accommodate such facilities.
It follows the executive orders issued by President Donald Trump in January and again in July for federal agencies to fast-track the adoption of AI. The orders also called for identifying military facilities suitable for high-energy data center construction. The Department of Defense (DoD) was ordered to lease qualifying land through open competition.
Five Military Bases Will Host AI Centers
The DAF announced this month that it would open access on five military bases to private companies for hosting AI data centers. It could further encourage greater collaboration between the defense and tech sectors without the need for direct government funding.
A solicitation notice posted online last week outlined leasing opportunities at Arnold Air Force Base (AFB), Tennessee; Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Edwards AFB, California; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Robins AFB, Georgia. Approximately 3,100 acres of “underutilized land” across the five sites, with 2,100 acres at Edwards AFB, will be available for leasing to private companies.
“AI is transforming the modern world, and these data centers are crucial for America to remain at the forefront of innovation,” Robert Moriarty, the Air Force’s deputy assistant secretary for installations, said in a statement to Defense News.
The leases being offered by the DAF could run up to 50 years and would be bid at fair market value. Moreover, the initiative, which seeks to accelerate private-sector investment in AI-related infrastructure, isn’t limited to defense-related companies or programs. The parcels of land could also range from smaller tracts of 300 acres or less to large sites, likely at Edwards AFB.
To qualify, the minimum load capacity would be 100 megawatts, with a total investment exceeding $500 million, and compliance with DAF leasing and environmental standards would be required.
Proposals are due to the DAF by November 14, and selection will be announced next year following environmental assessments and design reviews.
Central Operations
The government will have an opportunity to purchase services and power from the data centers, but will not be required to do so.
“This seems like a smart use of real estate. It brings revenue while potentially reducing one of the two main friction points that often dog construction of data centers elsewhere, which is incompatibility with surrounding land usage,” explained Dr. Jim Purtilo, associate professor of computer science at the University of Maryland.
“Communities might in particular oppose any noise from the all-important cooling operations. If these tracts are already segregated on unused federal properties, then perhaps there is less reason to push back,” Purtilo told ClearnanceJobs.
One unanswered question is how the facilities could be powered, which could lead to some contention over the cost of electricity.
“We have yet to repeal the law of supply and demand, and greater power demand for data centers can bring greater costs to surrounding communities,” added Purtilo. “The magnitude of this impact on communities will depend on how bidders propose to power their new centers.”
However, technology industry analyst Roger Entner of Recon Analytics told ClearanceJobs, the issue may be overstated. “Military bases typically have good, stable, and clean power supply.”
