Data center developers face a dizzying set of energy and environmental regulations and permitting requirements at both the federal and state levels. Securing the necessary approvals can be an expensive and protracted process. The Trump administration hopes to change that starting with an executive order on “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure,” (EO), along with “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” both issued on July 23, 2025.

The EO and the Action Plan seek to reshape the federal regulatory landscape for constructing data centers and associated power-generation infrastructure by directing federal agencies to establish tailored environmental review frameworks and streamlined permitting processes.

Click here to read the full GT Alert.

Photo of Courtney M. Shephard Courtney M. Shephard

Courtney Shephard guides energy companies through complex regulatory landscapes in the Rocky Mountain West. Her experience spans conventional and low-carbon energy production, with a focus on federal regulatory compliance, permitting strategies, and resolving enforcement matters.

At the core of Courtney’s work is her

…

Courtney Shephard guides energy companies through complex regulatory landscapes in the Rocky Mountain West. Her experience spans conventional and low-carbon energy production, with a focus on federal regulatory compliance, permitting strategies, and resolving enforcement matters.

At the core of Courtney’s work is her comprehensive approach to environmental compliance. She adeptly maneuvers through complex federal mandates—including NEPA, Clean Air Act, and Endangered Species Act requirements—and handles federal administrative appeals. Her experience includes crafting site-specific development strategies for localized development challenges that with the goal of achieving both environmental protection and development objectives.

Leveraging her background in climate policy analysis, carbon market dynamics, and emissions accounting, Courtney collaborates with clients to develop comprehensive carbon management strategies. Her practice includes methane and CO2 reduction strategies, Class VI storage permitting, and pore space acquisitions. She also represents clients in rulemaking and permitting proceedings before the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission.

Access to adequate water supplies is a common project development challenge in the arid western United States. Courtney has more than a decade of experience working with private and municipal clients to appropriate, buy/sell, change, and protect water rights through private transactions and Colorado water court proceedings.

Courtney’s strategic vision and comprehensive understanding of regulatory frameworks have been instrumental in advancing numerous energy and infrastructure projects throughout the region. Her ability to synthesize complex regulatory requirements with practical business needs make her an asset to clients navigating the ever-changing energy landscape.

Show more Show less
Photo of Bernadette M. Rappold Bernadette M. Rappold

Bernadette M. Rappold focuses her practice on federal and state regulatory issues related to energy, manufacturing, and the environment. Bernadette has substantial litigation experience and advises clients on regulatory compliance as well as the environmental, safety, and health aspects of numerous business and…

Bernadette M. Rappold focuses her practice on federal and state regulatory issues related to energy, manufacturing, and the environment. Bernadette has substantial litigation experience and advises clients on regulatory compliance as well as the environmental, safety, and health aspects of numerous business and real estate transactions, including water, air, and chemical hazards. Bernadette offers clients perspective gained through years of service at the Environmental Protection Agency. While serving as a director of the Special Litigation and Projects Division in the Office of Civil Enforcement at the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Bernadette led complex enforcement actions in response to violations of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and other environmental statutes. Her work at the EPA covered a variety of economic and industrial sectors including the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and agriculture industries.

Read more about Bernadette M. Rappold
Show more Show less
Photo of Eric Waeckerlin Eric Waeckerlin

Eric Waeckerlin counsels clients across the energy, mining, solid and hazardous waste, manufacturing, and industrial sectors on a wide variety of complex environmental, public lands, and natural resources matters. Eric has been at the forefront of emerging legal and regulatory landscapes, with a

…

Eric Waeckerlin counsels clients across the energy, mining, solid and hazardous waste, manufacturing, and industrial sectors on a wide variety of complex environmental, public lands, and natural resources matters. Eric has been at the forefront of emerging legal and regulatory landscapes, with a particular focus on air quality and climate change issues facing conventional and low-carbon energy development.

Eric focuses much of his practice on issues arising under the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and has substantial experience advising clients on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as all delegated state equivalents. Eric is frequently called upon to represent companies in high-stakes federal and state enforcement, policy, and regulatory matters before the EPA, BLM, and state environmental agencies and oil and gas conservation commissions across the Rocky Mountain West.

As the energy landscape continues to change, Eric’s practice has evolved to meet his clients’ needs. He frequently counsels clients on domestic and international climate change and methane policy, including the Inflation Reduction Act’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program, CO2 management and capture and reduction strategies, and other issues affecting conventional and clean energy projects. In his litigation practice, Eric has served as lead counsel for national oil and gas trade associations in challenges to federal regulations. He has also defended oil and natural gas companies in multimillion dollar air quality enforcement actions brought by the EPA and related state agencies.

Show more Show less
Photo of Joshua Forman Joshua Forman

Joshua B. Forman is a member of the Corporate Practice in Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office. Joshua’s experience includes commercial, tax, regulatory, and bankruptcy matters, specifically focusing on data center expansion, operations, and transit services, including the purchase and sale of terrestrial and subsea…

Joshua B. Forman is a member of the Corporate Practice in Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office. Joshua’s experience includes commercial, tax, regulatory, and bankruptcy matters, specifically focusing on data center expansion, operations, and transit services, including the purchase and sale of terrestrial and subsea fiber access and interconnection in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Joshua has deep in-house experience, having served as senior vice president and general counsel at Netrality Data Centers, where he was responsible for the organization’s legal department and providing strategic corporate and commercial legal advice to the executive leadership team, and providing legal advice on a wide range of domestic telecommunications matters. As general counsel and chief compliance officer at GlobeNet, he served on the executive leadership team and acted as the secretary to the board of directors, providing counsel regarding virtually all aspects of transactions, from assisting with due diligence and deal structuring, negotiating and drafting transaction documents, to overseeing the attainment of U.S. and non-U.S. regulatory approvals. As corporate counsel for mergers and acquisitions at TouchSuite, he structured U.S. and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions in the merchant services industry.

Read more about Joshua FormanJoshua's Linkedin Profile
Show more Show less
Photo of Chelsea Pullen Chelsea Pullen

Chelsea Pullen is an experienced digital infrastructure and commercial technology lawyer assisting companies with virtually all of their contractual needs, both domestically and internationally and arising from early inception to large-scale global operations. In the digital infrastructure space, Chelsea represents many of the…

Chelsea Pullen is an experienced digital infrastructure and commercial technology lawyer assisting companies with virtually all of their contractual needs, both domestically and internationally and arising from early inception to large-scale global operations. In the digital infrastructure space, Chelsea represents many of the world’s largest data center operators and developers, private equity firms, infrastructure funds, real estate investorsacross a broad range of transactions, including data center leases, master services agreements, service level agreements, power purchase agreements, indefeasible rights of use, dark fiber leases, cell tower and rooftop leases, internet exchange service agreements, DAS and WiFi system builds, and subsea cable systems.

Chelsea’s practice also includes negotiating a broad range of technology agreements, on both the vendor and customer side, including software and AI license and services agreements and other license agreements for cloud enterprise platforms and applications. Chelsea also works with clients to modernize their commercial contracting processes to streamline negotiations, mitigate risk, and ensuring operational efficiency.

Read more about Chelsea PullenChelsea's Linkedin Profile
Show more Show less
Photo of Shawn K. Ronda Shawn K. Ronda

Shawn Ronda focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions and digital infrastructure transactions. Shawn guides clients through virtually all aspects of real estate acquisitions and dispositions, real estate and data center leasing, finance, and real estate development, with an emphasis on development…

Shawn Ronda focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions and digital infrastructure transactions. Shawn guides clients through virtually all aspects of real estate acquisitions and dispositions, real estate and data center leasing, finance, and real estate development, with an emphasis on development and operations for data center, student housing, mixed-use, and retail projects in the Chicago area, throughout the United States, and beyond. Shawn regularly represents developers, operators, institutional clients, private equity companies, investors, and joint venture partners.

Shawn regularly advises clients on portfolio transactions across a wide variety of asset classes. He also advises clients with respect to the real estate and digital infrastructure related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, as well as joint ventures, regularly handling the negotiation of asset purchase agreements and merger documents, joint venture agreements, and the implementation of related due diligence strategies and activities.

Read more about Shawn K. RondaShawn's Linkedin Profile
Show more Show less