Federal records show that datacenters are driving a boom in fossil fuel pipeline projects at a time when the Trump administration is dismantling rules that protect against disasters along those lines, according to a new review compiled by the Environmental Integrity Project.
The report also found pipelines are being built to meet demand for natural gas exports fueled by wars in Ukraine and Iran. Federal records identified almost 200 pipeline projects that are proposed or in the works, collectively spanning 17,000 miles (27,000km).
Regulatory rollback and enforcement cuts
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. The findings highlight a little-considered environmental threat from artificial intelligence and datacenter proliferation: the US already records about 1.7 pipeline accidents, spills, fires, or explosions per day, and these projects would almost certainly lead to more.
The pipelines could help supply the at least 98 gas-fired power plants proposed to serve datacenters, and if all lines are completed, they would transport about 40% more natural gas daily than the system carries today.
“This is the largest boom in a couple decades … and it coincides with all this deregulation,” said Alexandra Shaykevich, research manager with the Environmental Integrity Project. “That’s concerning because the pipelines do usually operate safely, but they can leak and explode, and so there are big risks for communities across the United States.”
Regional concentration and expedited reviews
Most of the pipelines would carry natural gas across 42 states, though many are concentrated in several fossil fuel-producing regions. About 42 are in or cross Texas, 27 are in Louisiana, and nine each are in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Advocates say they are especially worried because of wide-ranging attacks on foundational environmental protections, from the Clean Water Act to the Endangered Species Act, which until recently have been used to stop the riskiest projects, protect against accidents, or hold polluters accountable.
The report states that over 25% of the projects have requested an expedited environmental review, and the administration is largely using legally dubious mechanisms to push them through, such as invoking the “energy emergency.” That has accelerated permit approvals, reduced the scope of environmental studies, and limited public and community input, the report alleges.
Pressure increases and accident risks
The administration has used the Defense Production Act to push through projects over state objections. In March, it jump-started the Santa Ynez oil pipeline in Santa Barbara, California, despite the state shutting it down in 2015 following a major spill that harmed 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 that would run from Pennsylvania to upstate New York, which the latter has opposed.
The Trump administration in January issued a memo stating it would “refrain from taking any enforcement action” against companies that violated Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration regulations. By 2025, it had already cut the average number of enforcement actions initiated in half, recording only 117.
The administration is also raising the risk of accidents and explosions by allowing companies to increase pipeline pressure in densely populated areas and letting them conduct fewer pressure tests, the report alleges. It has made these changes despite the regularity of accidents, including some that are deadly. The report points to a March 2023 disaster in which a crack in a gas pipeline in West Reading, Pennsylvania, caused an explosion in a chocolate factory that killed seven workers and injured 10 others. Last month, two workers were killed when a New Mexico pipeline exploded.
Wetland damage and local impact
The pipelines could also destroy thousands of acres of federally protected wetlands. At least 81 of the projects are expected to damage more than 19,000 acres (7,700 hectares) of federally protected wetlands, the report found. This comes as the Trump administration attempts to strip 94% of federal wetland protections.
The dangers are felt in south-west Louisiana, which holds a large concentration of pipelines because of the high number of export terminals along the Mississippi River. These already cut through and harmed sensitive wetlands and fishing grounds, said James Hiatt, executive director of For a Better Bayou. “The people who live here carry the risks and bear the burden while the profits go elsewhere,” Hiatt said.
