DELAWARE -The General Assembly is considering a bill that would ban state and local governments from using nondisclosure agreements tied to large-scale data center projects.
Senate Bill 312 would amend Delaware law to prohibit state agencies, counties and municipalities from entering into agreements that keep the public from accessing information about proposed or existing data centers that use, or could use, 100 megawatts of electricity or more.
The bill’s synopsis says large-scale data centers can create major challenges for nearby communities, including concerns tied to power use, infrastructure and local impacts.
“When nondisclosure agreements are used to shield information about proposed or planned data centers from the public, it deprives those communities of the opportunity to understand and respond to issues that directly affect them,” the synopsis states.
The proposed legislation would apply to state agencies as well as local governments across Delaware. Supporters say the measure is intended to increase transparency surrounding large development projects that can affect energy demand, land use and nearby neighborhoods.
