The Department of the Air Force is inviting private companies to build large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data centers on unused land at five military bases.
According to a request for lease proposals posted last week on SAM.gov, companies can propose building facilities on Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee, Edwards Air Force Base in California, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
Under the proposal, developers would lease underused Air Force land for private AI data center projects valued at more than $500 million and requiring at least 100 megawatts of power.
The Air Force would receive payment for the leases, and while the government could buy services or power from the facilities, it is not obligated to do so. If a project includes on-site power generation, the Air Force will retain the first right of refusal to that energy.
The notice stems from two 2025 executive orders issued by President Donald Trump – Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, signed Jan. 23, and Executive Order 14318, Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, signed July 23.
Together, the directives aim to speed the development of AI infrastructure and direct federal agencies to use government property to support private-sector data center projects.
“The Air Force cannot afford to disregard or discount the value of any asset, and we must optimize the real and potential value of those assets,” the service wrote in the solicitation.
Proposals are due by Nov. 14.