With a Trump administration potentially returning in 2025, data center operators anticipate new policies that could heavily influence energy usage, security protocols, and data sovereignty. Industry experts suggest that federal policy changes may spark growth and innovation across the sector, particularly as demand from AI continues to increase.
For instance, Andy Cvengros of JLL predicts a strong opportunity for expanding data center infrastructure. To keep up with AI’s extensive power needs, he expects government support will drive increased generation and transmission capacities. He also foresees new policies that incentivize infrastructure growth, enabling data centers to scale faster to support AI and cloud technologies.
Tony Harvey from Gartner anticipates a shift in energy regulations under Trump, expecting that federal oversight will likely emphasize traditional energy sources over renewables, with state and local authorities managing most environmental regulations. Since local policies will continue leading efforts around power consumption and environmental impact, Harvey believes a unified framework would simplify compliance for U.S. companies currently managing varied state standards.
Additionally, a Trump administration’s focus on U.S. manufacturing could impact data center security and domestic expansion. John Bambenek, president of Bambenek Consulting, envisions a renewed emphasis on keeping data within U.S. borders. In his view, tariffs would make reliance on foreign data centers challenging, opening new growth opportunities for U.S.-based storage solutions.
Moreover, policies that encourage American-made components could reshape semiconductor production. Vlad Galabov from Omdia observes that while most attention has focused on chip production, other essential parts like PCBs are primarily sourced from Asia. New tariffs on imported components, he notes, would likely raise costs for data center infrastructure.
With evolving regulations, rising AI demand, and a possible push for U.S.-based production, the data center industry faces a critical period of adaptation. As operators prepare for these anticipated shifts, they remain focused on maintaining steady growth and fostering continued innovation.
