Arkansas Judge Denies Request to Block News Reporting on Google Data Center Energy Documents
An Arkansas federal judge denied Entergy Arkansas' request to block the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette from publishing details obtained from confidential documents related to a $4 billion Google data center project in the state. The newspaper had published an article revealing that Google would pay Entergy Arkansas $526 million for a solar facility supplying power to its West Memphis data center, part of a larger 600-megawatt solar and battery project known as Cypress Solar. Entergy argued the documents contained trade secrets and sensitive information disclosed in error by the state's Public Service Commission. The judge acknowledged Entergy’s case but emphasized First Amendment protections against prior restraints on media reporting, noting such restrictions are only justified under extreme circumstances. A preliminary injunction request will be addressed at a later date. The newspaper defended its actions as fulfilling its duty to inform the public about matters of high interest and criticized any attempt to limit press freedom.
