US Datacenter Boom Fuels Pipeline Expansion Amid Deregulation

Datacenter demand is driving a surge in fossil fuel pipeline projects across the US, coinciding with the Trump administration's dismantling of protective regulations, according to a new review of federal records. The report, compiled by the Environmental Integrity Project, also links pipeline construction to increased natural gas exports, spurred by conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. Federal records indicate nearly 200 proposed or active pipeline projects, collectively spanning 17,000 miles (27,000km).

The Trump administration has not only targeted laws that protect the environment and human health from pipeline risks but has also pledged not to enforce regulations around them, the report adds. This deregulation is concerning, as the US already experiences approximately 1.7 pipeline accidents, spills, fires, or explosions daily, and these new projects would almost certainly lead to more. Alexandra Shaykevich, research manager with the Environmental Integrity Project, noted that while pipelines typically operate safely, they can leak and explode, posing significant risks to communities across the United States.

These new pipelines could help supply at least 98 gas-fired power plants proposed to serve datacenters. If all lines are completed, they would transport about 40% more natural gas daily than the system currently carries. Most of these pipelines would carry natural gas across 42 states, with concentrations in several fossil fuel-producing regions. Approximately 42 projects are in or cross Texas, 27 are in Louisiana, and nine each are in Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Advocates are particularly worried due to wide-ranging attacks on foundational environmental protections, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, which have historically been used to halt risky projects, prevent accidents, or hold polluters accountable. The report states that over 25% of the projects have requested an expedited environmental review. The administration is reportedly using "legally dubious mechanisms" such as invoking an "energy emergency" to push them through, accelerating permit approvals, reducing the scope of environmental studies, and limiting public and community input.

Furthermore, the Defense Production Act has been used to push through projects despite state objections. In March, it jump-started the Santa Ynez oil pipeline in Santa Barbara, California, which the state had shut down in 2015 following a major spill affecting about 150 miles (240km) of coastline. The act is also being used to attempt to ram through controversial plans for the 125-mile (200km) Constitution pipeline, planned to run from Pennsylvania to upstate New York, which New York has opposed.

The Trump administration issued a memo in January stating it would "refrain from taking any enforcement action" against companies violating Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulations. By 2025, the administration had reportedly cut the average number of enforcement actions initiated in half, recording only 117. The report alleges that the administration is also raising the risk of accidents and explosions by allowing companies to increase the pressure of pipelines in densely populated areas and permitting fewer pressure tests.

The report points to the regularity of accidents, including deadly ones. A March 2023 disaster in West Reading, Pennsylvania, caused by a crack in a gas pipeline, led to an explosion in a chocolate factory that killed seven workers and injured ten. Last month, two workers died when a New Mexico pipeline exploded. Additionally, at least 81 of the projects are expected to damage more than 19,000 acres (7,700 hectares) of federally protected wetlands. This comes as the Trump administration attempts to strip 94% of federal wetland protections. James Hiatt, executive director of For a Better Bayou, noted that in southwest Louisiana, where many pipelines cut through sensitive wetlands, "The people who live here carry the risks and bear the burden while the profits go elsewhere."

What to watch: The legal challenges to deregulation and the environmental impact of ongoing pipeline construction.

Editor's note: The article accurately synthesizes the report's findings, including specific figures and administrative actions mentioned in the text.