The Trump administration’s 2024–2025 infrastructure and design agenda is remaking the federal construction landscape, with sharp turns away from Biden-era climate priorities and a renewed emphasis on deregulation, energy independence, and traditional aesthetics. These policy changes are rippling through the construction and design industries, creating both risks and new opportunities.

At the core of the administration’s approach is a dual-track strategy: slashing federal spending on clean energy programs while simultaneously accelerating investments in fossil fuel infrastructure, digital systems, and classical architecture.

Federal Spending Cuts and Redirection

In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order pausing disbursements under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This decision halted federal support for projects such as clean energy school buses, EV charging networks, and climate resilience initiatives.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) followed with the termination of more than 10,700 federal contracts, representing $71.1 billion in cuts. Companies dependent on climate-related federal funding now face major uncertainty. For others, especially firms in fossil fuel infrastructure, the policy shift may bring a surge of opportunities.

While traditional contractors like Clark Construction Group were hit—its $8.19 million USDA contract was canceled—the administration argues that streamlined procurement and expedited permitting will reward agile firms able to adapt quickly.

Digital Infrastructure and Data Centers

In contrast to clean energy rollbacks, Trump’s team has moved aggressively on digital infrastructure. A July 2025 executive order accelerated federal permitting for large-scale data centers, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence (AI) and national security needs.

The policy aligns with the $500 billion “Stargate” initiative, a private investment effort backed by Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank, focused on building hyperscale AI infrastructure. These projects could require facilities capable of 100+ megawatts of power—a scale that only specialized contractors can handle.

In addition, the administration is promoting adaptive reuse of brownfield sites and Superfund locations for new data centers, opening opportunities for firms skilled in environmental remediation.

Classical Architecture Mandates

The most symbolic element of Trump’s agenda is the revival of the “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again” executive order. It mandates that federal buildings over $50 million adopt neoclassical styles, echoing Greek and Roman influences.

While critics such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) argue the policy limits innovation, the administration insists it strengthens national identity. Advocates point to iconic structures like the Capitol and the White House as models.

For classical architecture firms, this mandate could elevate their profile. Federal courthouses, agency headquarters, or even the long-delayed FBI headquarters project may see bids from firms emphasizing neoclassical design blended with modern sustainability. Still, no major projects have yet been awarded under this directive, leaving questions about its practical impact.

Broader Market Impacts

The ripple effects extend into real estate and design. Airbnb-linked design initiatives could benefit from incentives to retrofit buildings with IoT-enabled, energy-efficient systems. Yet without direct federal contracts, scalability will depend on state-level alignment with federal deregulation trends.

Investors face a complex landscape:

• Risks: Companies tied to climate programs, EV charging, or renewable energy contracting may see reduced federal opportunities.
• Opportunities: Firms aligned with oil, gas, pipeline retrofits, AI/data centers, and classical architecture stand to gain.

As Shannon Timm, a director of advancement for CDIS at UW-Madison, noted in a different context, federal design mandates can create new collaboration models. The same may prove true here—if firms learn to balance tradition with sustainability.

Strategic Takeaway

Trump’s infrastructure plan is less about building more and more about reshaping priorities. It favors:

• Energy independence over green transition
• Private-sector AI/data hubs over public climate resilience
• Classical revivalism over modernist experimentation

For firms like Clark Construction Group, classical design studios, and contractors exploring data centers, the key will be agility—adapting to deregulation while navigating political and fiscal volatility.

Originally reported by Albert Fox in AInvest.