Google’s planned Virginia data center highlights how NDAs are now routinely used to hide core infrastructure details like water and power from the public.
The water utility initially refused to disclose projected usage, but a court forced release of the numbers: 2–8 million gallons per day, a massive ongoing load for any AI-scale facility.
This level of water draw is consistent with large GPU-heavy data centers, where cooling and reliability directly depend on stable, high-volume utility partnerships.
The NDA even covers power sourcing with Appalachian Power, obscuring how much grid capacity and new generation (or upgrades) this AI build will actually require.
Economic development officials argue NDAs are necessary to land hyperscale projects, but they now extend past announcement, weakening local oversight of AI infrastructure impacts.
For AI operators, this shows how siting strategy hinges on quiet negotiations with utilities; for communities, it raises real risks around water, energy, and growth they can’t fully see.
The story is a useful window into how AI data centers are reshaping governance around critical resources, making the underlying documents and legal fights worth a close read.
Source: Data center water fight spotlights non-disclosure agreements | WVTF
