Use of NDAs for Wisconsin data centers wider than previously known
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. signed at least five nondisclosure agreements with data center developers, sometimes months or years before projects were publicly announced. State Rep. Clint Moses plans to introduce legislation extending a proposed ban on local data center NDAs to the state agency.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the state’s lead economic development agency, signed at least five NDAs tied to artificial intelligence and other data center projects. The agreements covered proposals in Menomonie, Beaver Dam, DeForest, Mount Pleasant and Port Washington, with some signed well before public announcements. Developers included Meta, QTS, Microsoft, and an OpenAI-Oracle-Vantage venture.
The disclosures have drawn criticism from people concerned that confidentiality kept residents unaware of multibillion-dollar developments. WEDC defended the agreements as a tool for competing for business while complying with public-records law. State Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, said he plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit data center NDAs involving the state agency, expanding on an earlier proposal aimed only at local governments.