Entergy Drops Data Center Records Lawsuit After Judge Denies Gag Order
Entergy Arkansas has dropped its federal lawsuit over the publication of financial information related to Google's planned $4 billion data center in West Memphis. The company voluntarily dismissed the case on September 16th, two weeks after a judge denied Entergy's request for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented news organizations from publishing additional information contained in records released by the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
The dispute centered on agreements between Entergy and a Google subsidiary related to the company's planned data center. Entergy argued that further disclosure of confidential financial information could harm its ability to negotiate similar agreements in the future, but U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky denied the request for an immediate restraining order citing significant First Amendment concerns.
The case involved records obtained through an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request by Jessica Kivell, which were initially released by the commission. The records also have implications for Jefferson County through the $1.6 billion Arkansas Cypress Solar project, a 600-megawatt solar facility paired with a 350-megawatt battery energy storage system.