More than NDAs. Wisconsin communities face scrutiny over data center secrecy.

Several Wisconsin communities have signed nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with data center developers, including the town of Beloit. This has led to pushback against a lack of transparency around these large-scale AI data center projects. In one example, the city of Port Washington was sued for refusing to provide communications and documents related to a $15 billion data center project under construction. The city turned over emails but withheld attached files, arguing the request did not specifically ask for the attachments. At a recent public forum, the Port Washington mayor boasted that his city did not sign an NDA, saying data center developers will "find a way to operate without having to sign an NDA" if communities refuse. However, the city is still facing legal action over its lack of transparency. A bill that would ban data center NDAs in Wisconsin has stalled in the state legislature, despite growing scrutiny over the secrecy surrounding these projects. Advocates say local governments should be prepared to act with "maximum transparency" when courting major data center developments that will transform their communities.