The US Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a request for proposals for private AI data center developments on unused land by military bases.

The DoD said that it was considering pitches for projects at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg, Fort Bliss, and Dugway Proving Ground. In previously unreported procurement documents, the department provided details about each location.

Fort Hood, Coryell, Texas

For Fort Hood, used for training armored forces, 207 acres of land are available for lease. Transmission lines (138kV on site, 345kV adjacent) exist, and are serviced by ONCOR. The location also has an intrastate natural gas transmission pipeline nearby, from Atmos, but gas capacity is unknown.

Windstream fiber is located along I-14, and multiple fiber providers are located along I-35.

Water risk for the military base is noted as 'High.'

Fort Bragg, Cumberland and Harnett, North Carolina

This base, which spans more than 251 square miles, has six different locations available for potential development. Ranging from 78 acres up to 205, a total of 734 acres are available.

Most of the locations are primarily mixed pine and hardwood forests, which could be harvested for timber if removed.

Transmission service is provided by Duke Energy, with 230kV serving the base. Piedmont Natural Gas Company (Duke Energy) has a natural gas transmission pipeline adjacent to the installation, with capacity again unknown.

The locations 'may' have fiber lines from Windstream nearby.

Water risk for the military base is rated as 'High.'

Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas

The second-largest US Army installation in land area, Fort Bliss has one land parcel available spanning 1,384 acres.

The site may have been used for weapons firing prior to the 1970s.

Transmission service is provided by El Paso Electric (EPE). 115kV serves Fort Bliss, and 345kV transmission is on the range at East Bliss. El Paso Natural Gas Co (Kinder Morgan) has an interstate natural gas transmission pipeline located on the installation. ONEOK has an intrastate natural gas transmission pipeline located on the installation. Natural gas capacity unknown. Connection to natural gas is available from Texas Gas Services.

Multiple fiber providers are located along I-10, including Cogent Communications, Lumen Technologies, TransTelco, and Windstream.

Water risk for the El Paso area is ‘Extremely High.’

Dugway Proving Ground, Tooele County, Utah

The US military's primary site for testing chemical and biological weapons, Dugway, has three parcels available for data center development, comprising 1,201, 1,127, and 1,138 acres (for a total of 3,466 acres).

The procurement documents state the land was previously used for grazing, and not for chemical or biological testing.

However, one site is 3.5 miles from the North Wig Grid, which was used for testing. A 1964 test and evaluation document notes using remotely controlled sampling equipment to test the air as far as 36 miles from the North grid for undisclosed toxins released at the site.

In 1968, chemical agents escaped from Dugway, killing more than 6,000 sheep and other animals. Thousands of chemical weapons experiments have been documented at the base, although most of its work remains classified.

Transmission service is provided by Rocky Mountain Power, with Dugway served by a 69kV connection. The closest natural gas transmission pipeline is some 30 miles away, operated by Enbridge, with an unknown capacity.

Lumen Technologies and Cogent Communications own fiber along I-80, around 35 miles away.

Water risk for the area is ‘Low-Medium.'

Federal land for private data centers

Virtually all of the locations had environmental considerations, including endangered animals and plants, and potential archaeological restrictions.

A July 2025 Executive Order from President Donald Trump, which built on a similar EO from previous President Joe Biden, has sought to open up federal land for data centers. As part of that, environmental reviews and permitting have been "streamlined," although specifics are unclear.

The Department of Energy has similarly opened up several parcels of land for potential data center projects. It announced 16 sites last year, with four primary locations.

For the DoD sites, proposals must be received no later than January 22.