AWS won't use NDAs while dealing with government agencies anymore
What's the story
Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Matt Garman has announced that the company will no longer use nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in its negotiations with government agencies for new data centers. The announcement comes as part of a broader effort by Amazon to address concerns around data centers, and highlight their potential benefits for communities.
Backlash
Erin Brockovich's take on NDAs
The use of NDAs has been a major point of contention in the ongoing data center controversy.
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich recently highlighted transparency as the biggest concern with these projects.
She noted a common pattern where "projects are announced after permits are already secured, developers who don't return calls, local officials who signed NDAs before their neighbors knew a project was being considered."
Myth debunking
Myths surrounding data centers
In his blog post, Garman also sought to debunk four major myths surrounding data centers: They use too much water, raise electricity costs, pollute a lot, and don't benefit communities.
He cited an Amazon report that showed "direct data center water consumption" accounts for only 0.5% of all industrial water usage in the US - "orders of magnitude less than golf courses, almond farming, and many other industries."
Rate impact
Addressing concerns about electricity rates and pollution
Garman also addressed the issue of rising electricity rates in states with a high number of data centers.
He argued that these increases are primarily due to an aging grid that hasn't been upgraded or expanded to meet demand.
On pollution, he said critics focus on maximum allowed emissions under data center permits instead of actual operational levels.
Community support
Amazon's contributions to local communities
Garman also highlighted Amazon's financial contributions to communities where it has a significant data center presence. He said the company has given over $1 billion in the past three years. However, despite these efforts, skepticism about motives remains high among some members of the public.