Know the Game! It's Data Centers Whether You Want Them or Not!
How AI Data Centers Plan Ahead To Force Data Centers On The Public
How AI Data Centers Plan Ahead To Force Data Centers On The Public
(Data Centers are the new timeshares and condos for those who want to pave the earth. Amazing! The environment suddenly took a back seat when the dollars [or Yuans] started pouring in. - DD)
(AND Magazine) - The pattern described in this tweet from Daniel Horowitz (@RMConservative) is occurring across our nation.
Daniel Horowitz
@RMConservative
They arrive a year early, force your mayor to sign a secret NDA, and quietly rig the local zoning laws. By the time you find out about the hyperscale data center, it’s already too late.
Today’s show: youtu.be/ZPDDQCX1HKA
It reflects a recurring strategy where data center developers (often representing hyperscalers like Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, or others via shell companies or code-named “projects”) approach local officials early—sometimes a year or more in advance—sign broad non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and advance key elements like land deals, zoning tweaks, tax incentives, or infrastructure planning with minimal or no public visibility until significant momentum exists.
How this Secrecy Playbook Typically Works
Early private approach: Developers contact mayors, economic development corporations, county boards, or utilities with high-level pitches (jobs, tax revenue). They often use shell entities (e.g., “Balloonist LLC”) or project code names so the end-user (the actual tech company) stays hidden.
NDAs bind officials: These agreements frequently prohibit disclosing the existence of the project, the company’s identity, scale (e.g., power demand in MW, number of buildings, water usage), or even the NDA itself in some cases. Officials sometimes sign to “stay in the room” for negotiations or…
