House Passes SPEED Act to Accelerate AI Infrastructure Permits
The House of Representatives last week approved the SPEED Act, a measure designed to streamline federal permitting for AI-related infrastructure projects. The bill passed 218-213 amid internal Republican divisions and strong Democratic opposition.
Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, the legislation aims to reform the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It would shorten the statute of limitations for NEPA-related lawsuits from six years to 150 days and impose tighter deadlines on environmental reviews. Supporters, including major technology companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Micron, argue the changes are essential for the United States to maintain its lead in artificial intelligence against China and other competitors.
“The electricity we will need to power AI computing for civilian and military use is a national imperative,” Westerman said.
Democratic cosponsor Rep. Jared Golden of Maine said the bill would help the country become “nimble enough to build what we need, when we need it.” Growing demand from power-intensive data centers has intensified pressure on Congress to address permitting bottlenecks.
Most Democrats opposed the measure, citing language added by Republican leadership that protects certain Trump administration actions restricting offshore wind and other renewable energy projects. That provision intensified resistance. Conservatives also forced additional concessions during a procedural vote.
Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), who generally backs permitting reform, voted against the bill and said the renewable energy exemption “codifies a broken permitting status quo.” He expressed hope for a more bipartisan version in the Senate.
The SPEED Act now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to become part of broader negotiations over federal permitting rules.In a related development, the Trump administration this month launched the U.S. Tech Force, a two-year program that will place roughly 1,000 engineers and technical experts across federal agencies to work on artificial intelligence infrastructure and other technology priorities. Participants will collaborate with private-sector partners that include Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, and others. After their government service, members may pursue full-time roles with those companies.
