NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act)
The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to evaluate the environmental effects of their actions before deciding, through a categorical exclusion, environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. A private data center triggers NEPA only with a federal nexus, such as federal funding, federal land or a federal permit. When triggered, the review can add significant time to the schedule.
The full guide · Zoning, permitting & communityThe Data Center Permitting Process, Step by StepThe permits a data center needs, from zoning and site plan to stormwater, air, wetlands, FAA and building permits, and the order they usually come in.Where NEPA comes up
- Environmental & physical riskNEPA Review for Data Centers: When It Applies and What Changed in 2025
- Land & site fundamentalsFederal Land for AI Data Centers: DOE Sites, BLM and Military Bases
- Environmental & physical riskCultural Resources and Section 106: What Data Center Developers Need to Know
- Land & site fundamentalsCan Farmland Be Converted to a Data Center?
- Grid regionsData Center Site Selection in the Mountain West and Desert Southwest
- Land & site fundamentalsData Center Site Selection Criteria: The Complete Checklist
- Environmental & physical riskCan You Build a Data Center in a Floodplain?
- Environmental & physical riskWetlands and Data Center Development: Delineation, Permits and Buildable Land