Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed an executive order this week to support the development of artificial intelligence data centers in the state. The order aims to attract advanced computing and technology investment, positioning Wyoming as a contender in the race for massive infrastructure projects that underpin the booming AI industry.
What the order sets out to do
The executive order directs state agencies to prioritize and speed up approval for data center projects. It calls for a coordinated push to market Wyoming’s advantages — cheap energy, wide-open land, and a business-friendly climate — to companies building the next generation of computing facilities. The governor’s office said the order creates a framework to streamline permitting and encourage investment in high-performance computing.
Why Wyoming is chasing data centers
AI data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and water for cooling. Wyoming has abundant coal, natural gas, wind, and solar resources, plus a low population density that reduces land competition. The state has lost manufacturing jobs over the years, and state leaders see data centers as a way to diversify the economy without forcing a big population increase. The executive order is the latest move to court tech firms that are spending billions on AI hardware.
Wyoming isn't the only state chasing data center projects — Nevada, Texas, and Virginia have pushed similar policies. But Gordon's order emphasizes the state's low taxes and minimal regulation as differentiators. It also signals to potential investors that Wyoming is serious about becoming a hub for the kind of large-scale computing that powers AI models from companies like OpenAI and Google. The order does not commit any state funding; instead, it uses executive authority to make the approval process smoother for projects that meet certain criteria.
The order comes as the Biden administration has also promoted domestic AI infrastructure, though most of that focus has been on chips and cloud services. Wyoming's pitch is that it has the space and power for the physical plants that few other states can match.
Next steps after the signature
State agencies now have to produce a report within 60 days detailing how they will implement the order. The governor's office expects that at least two major data center developers are already exploring sites in the state. Whether those projects turn into shovels in the ground will depend on how quickly the state can deliver on its promises of speed and certainty.
