US Government Reportedly Allowing Federal Data Center Rules to Expire

The U.S. government is reportedly allowing the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act (FDCEA) to expire at the end of September without a clear replacement plan, despite the law's critical standards for cybersecurity, energy efficiency, and sustainability at federal data centers. The expiration comes as the Trump administration takes a hands-off approach to AI industry oversight, prioritizing national security and competitiveness concerns while facing growing public opposition to data center projects over environmental and infrastructure impacts. A GSA employee told Wired this marks an unprecedented situation, as data center policies have historically been carefully developed years in advance before previous rules expired.