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October 31, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden, and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore.) have demanded answers from Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum over his role in helping broker deals to build data centers on public lands.

In September, reporting revealed that the Trump Administration aims to hijack nearly 18,000 acres of public land across Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah for the development of new data centers. The DOI subsequently released internal calendars showing that Burgum has met repeatedly with known data center developers since 2025. 

“The timing of these meetings taking place concurrently with the administration’s efforts to pursue data center development on public lands raises serious questions about your involvement in these deals,” the Senators wrote. “The complete lack of transparency regarding these actions compounds our concerns. Given Congress’s role in funding and conducting oversight over the responsible management of public lands, the DOI has an obligation to respond to Congressional oversight inquiries.”

Padilla has fought tirelessly to protect and conserve public lands against the Trump Administration’s repeated attacks. Last month, Padilla condemned the Trump Administration’s attempts to repeal the Roadless Rule, which protects nearly 60 million acres of undeveloped National Forest Service lands. Padilla also led a bipartisan group of 153 lawmakers in demanding the DOI abandon its proposed Yosemite land transfer to a Trump donor. Last year, Padilla introduced the Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California (PUBLIC) Lands Act, legislation that would protect and restore over 1.7 million acres of California’s public lands throughout northwest California, the Central Coast, and Los Angeles County.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Secretary Burgum, 

On September 18, The Washington Sun reported that the Trump administration is preparing to develop new, privately-owned data centers and related infrastructure on nearly 18,000 acres of public lands for the across six western states, including Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. 

Recently, the Department of the Interior (DOI) released limited details regarding meetings that you have taken over the last year and a half with wealthy data center developers and investors. The timing of these meetings taking place concurrently with the administration’s efforts to pursue data center development on public lands raises serious questions about your involvement in these deals. The complete lack of transparency regarding these actions compounds our concerns. 

The numerous risks posed to communities by rapid data center development are well documented. These projects are consuming unprecedented amounts of water, further exacerbating drought conditions in the West, and driving up energy costs for millions of Americans. Effectively privatizing public lands owned by American taxpayers sends a clear message that the Trump administration continues to prioritize the profits of tech CEOs and shareholders over the American people that rely on public lands for hunting, fishing, recreation, and livestock grazing. 

Moreover, the extent of harm to our communities cannot be fully known when the DOI has failed to meaningfully consult with tribes and provide details and opportunity to comment to the public. 

Given Congress’s role in funding and conducting oversight over the responsible management of public lands, the DOI has an obligation to respond to Congressional oversight inquiries. 

For all of these reasons, we demand that you immediately cease all efforts to hijack public lands for the development of data centers, and urge you to provide full transparency on your role in the DOI’s efforts to site data centers with a written response no later than November 16, 2026. 

Sincerely,

Source: Senator Alex Padilla