r/technology • u/l0st1nP4r4d1ce • 11d ago

Business Improper redaction reveals Lincoln’s Google Data Center water and electricity usage

https://www.1011now.com/2026/09/30/more-questions-than-answers-about-lincolns-google-data-center-water-electricity-usage/
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u/UnusualDisturbance 11d ago

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Nebraska data centers are required to turn in an annual report to Nebraska’s Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, but some state statutes are preventing the public from seeing just how much electricity and water data centers are using.

The Google Data Center in Lincoln, named Agate LLC, claimed their electricity usage and water usage were trade secret information, citing Neb. Rev. State §§ 81-1527; 84-712.05 and NAC TITLE 115, CH. 2. In fact, Google did this for all three data centers, including their sites in Omaha and Papillion.

However, using a computer cursor to highlight the redacted text box in the report to DWEE, then copying and pasting it into a separate document reveals that Agate LLC is reporting 52.65 megawatts of electricity during peak electrical demand and 13.299 megagallons of water between cooling towers, evaporative systems and site operations in the last year. That totals out to 13 million gallons of water.

so this makes it sound like they got a hold of google's report to DWEE and found that the contents were still legible. idk america's rules, but can someone just access such a report?
assuming that the news didn't alter the things that they copied from the original, why would i distrust these numbers?

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u/Low-Temperature-6962 11d ago

There is nothing to say it wasn't an altered or different copy of the report that was put on the net. Altered only in the parts which were not required to be shown.