Rock Co. board suggests NDA and data center policy
The Rock County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin is taking steps to develop a concrete policy regarding non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for data center projects, in response to community concerns. The proposed policy aims to allow NDAs for standard business practices while prohibiting county staff from signing NDAs that would prevent them from disclosing information about hyperscale data center development to the public or elected officials.
The Rock County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin is addressing growing community concerns over the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in relation to hyperscale AI data center projects. Residents voiced their apprehensions at a recent meeting, advocating for greater transparency, prompting the board to consider new resolutions.
The resolutions propose a dual approach to NDAs. One directs the county administrator to formulate a policy that authorizes the use of NDAs for general county staff business, acknowledging them as standard commercial practice. The second and more critical resolution would specifically prohibit county employees from entering into NDAs that would restrict them from disclosing information concerning the encouragement and construction of hyperscale data centers to the public or elected officials.
This move comes as a Wisconsin Watch report highlighted that at least four other Wisconsin communities, including Beaver Dam where a Meta data center is located, have signed billion-dollar data center NDAs. While no final policy is enacted yet, Rock County supervisors hope this initiative will address community demands for transparency without deterring legitimate business development.