Data centers in Maryland

Dan Cox said if elected he will immediately order a statewide moratorium on data center construction

Challenger Republican Jeff Holtzinger said he worries data centers will overburden the county's water supply and is skeptical that even if the industry commits to reducing water use, it will be sustainable for the environment.

Dan Cox called Moore's data center proposal political theater and said it will supercharge data center development

Dan Cox said he will work to protect rural areas from data center development and called for a statewide ban on data center development

Gov. Wes Moore said if local jurisdictions say no to data centers, that is a final answer and data centers do not get to write the rules

Mileah Kromer, director of the UMBC Institute of Politics, stated that opposition to data centers is one area where Marylanders agreed regardless of party affiliation, economic status, or ZIP code.

“We’re demanding a ban,” Ellis said in a statement after Moore’s announcement.

Dan Cox promises a statewide moratorium on data centers as part of his campaign platform.

Republican Councilman Nino Mangione pushed to extend the data center moratorium, saying the county needs time to gather facts about financial benefits and serious potential consequences.

Unaffiliated candidate Cory Shaffer said the county council's data center moratorium is a way to delay decisions and that he supports a ban because back room deals will shut out the community.

Democrat Shawn McIntosh called for banning hyper scale data centers until the industry finds ways to deal with their water and energy consumption.

Erek L. Barron states that as states compete for data center investment while confronting rising electricity costs, the debate is increasingly moving from regulatory commissions to legislatures and courts.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown's upcoming people's counsel appointment may shape state debates over electric rate increases and grid investment related to data centers

Moore called on state lawmakers to repeal a law passed in 2020 which gave data centers certain tax exemptions.

Jorge Aguilar, regional director for Food & Water Watch, criticized Moore for not adopting data center moratorium other states have

Moore said he would approve statewide data center moratorium if presented with one, less than a week before the executive order signing

Baltimore City Council Councilperson Phylicia Porter, chair of the public health committee, sponsored the data center zoning bill in April 2026 with amendments taking effect after the development moratorium ends in June 2027

Cox pushed back on criticism of his past support for a 2020 tax exemption designed to attract data centers to Maryland, saying the industry has changed significantly since then.

Maryland Freedom Caucus criticized the order for not including a moratorium on data center construction.

Dan Cox called for a statewide ban on data centers, saying Moore's executive order establishing a regulatory and review framework did not go far enough because it stops short of placing a moratorium on new data center projects.

Moore said he plans to work with the General Assembly to repeal a tax exemption designed to attract data centers to Maryland.

Draft report recommends data centers prohibited on agricultural land zoned for resource conservation

Andy Ellis, Green Party candidate, renewed calls for a statewide ban on data center construction and permitting.

Draft report recommends establishing overall cap on total electrical or water usage by data centers in the county

The state plans to create a public dashboard for transparency that will display proposed data center projects, including water and electricity consumption.

Governor Wes Moore said he would sign a data center moratorium if state lawmakers passed one, though the executive order stops short of a moratorium

Sheila Ruth, Maryland Delegate, told the planning board the county should consider capping data center size because larger centers have greater impact on power grid, water systems, pollution and noise

Governor Moore will ask the General Assembly next session to repeal Maryland's data center sales and use tax exemption enacted in 2020.

Governor Wes Moore quoted on executive order and data center regulation.

Todd Crandell, Baltimore County Councilman Republican, said the moratorium is appropriate because the industry has not answered questions about environmental impact and energy costs

Gov. Moore plans to advocate for repeal of the state tax exemption for data centers, established in 2020, during the next legislative session beginning in January.

Gov. Moore said he would work with state lawmakers in the coming legislative session to repeal the existing state tax exemption for data centers, established in 2020.

Gov. Wes Moore stated data centers must establish clear safeguards to ensure Marylanders do not foot the bill, people benefit, community voices are heard, and environment is protected.

Data centers must hire locally, pay well, and enter partnerships with labor unions according to the executive order.

Maryland Data Center Task Force will include members from Maryland Energy Administration, Departments of Commerce, Labor, Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Planning

Governor Moore has not called for a statewide moratorium on data centers but said he would sign legislation if General Assembly sent him a moratorium bill.

Gov. Moore indicated in a recent interview with Punchbowl News that if a statewide moratorium bill landed on his desk next year, he would sign it.

Izzy Patoka, Baltimore County Councilman Democrat, said he has heard from no one he represents who wants the moratorium lifted

Governor Wes Moore pledged to seek repeal of Maryland's data center tax exemption.

Draft report recommends data centers subject to noise and vibration studies before and after construction with post construction audits at regular intervals

The executive order does not impose a statewide moratorium on building data centers.

Draft report recommends data centers prohibited within 750 feet of residential uses

Draft report recommends data centers prohibited within 500 feet of day care centers, parks, recreation facilities and schools

Draft report recommends data centers prohibited outside Urban Rural Demarcation Line

Izzy Patoka, District 2 councilman, said data centers do not create jobs and use enormous amounts of county resources

Julian Jones, District 4 councilman, said citizens have legitimate concerns about energy, water, air quality and noise from data centers

David Marks, Baltimore County Councilman, stated that the public needs more opportunity to comment on data centers, describing it as a complex issue involving land use, taxation, and water use.

Political analyst John Dedie said shifting positions on data centers reek of 2028 politics and that candidates are responding to strong voter pushback against data center development and artificial intelligence.

Moore called on data center operators to provide their own energy resources and comply with environmental standards

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he would sign a bill imposing a statewide moratorium on data center development if it reaches his desk in 2027

Gov. Wes Moore said he would sign a statewide data center moratorium as the state faces local pressure to restrict artificial intelligence buildout

Jessica Fitzwater, Frederick County Executive, rejected the community benefits agreement on September 15, 2026

More than 60 Maryland advocacy groups urging state leaders to pause new data center proposals until impacts can be evaluated

Delegate April Fleming Miller's District 4 team sent a letter to the County Executive requesting an extension to the DRRA comment period for a data center agreement.

Louisa Conklin, Frederick County Council member, stated data center developers have legal avenues to protect themselves from council oversight and that water protection is a community priority.

Maryland communities are weighing the promise of jobs and tax revenue against concerns about electricity demand, land use, noise and other impacts

County Executive Kathy Klausmeier supports extending the data center moratorium

Maryland Del. Sheila Ruth recommended the county consider capping the size of any potential data center

SMECO President and CEO Sonja Cox stated the cooperative's position is that a data center seeking to locate in Southern Maryland must directly pay the full cost of transmission or distribution construction required to connect and serve it

Glass cited county residents' concerns about potential environmental impacts of data centers

None of the seven Maryland data center projects included in the relevant forecast have a formal agreement with a utility

Governor Moore stated data centers must bear own energy costs and infrastructure improvements

State Senator Karen Lewis Young introduced study legislation to analyze data center economic, environmental and energy consequences

AI and energy executives warn Maryland risks losing jobs, tax revenue and processing power as counties block data centers

Residents cite water use, pollution and rising energy costs as reasons to slow down data center development

State Sen. Karen Lewis Young sponsored legislation requiring a statewide analysis of environmental, energy and economic impacts of data center development

Baltimore Sun Editorial Board advocates for intelligent regulation of data centers rather than bans

Commissioner Catherine M. Grasso asked staff to begin process to revoke zoning for data centers and rescind rezoning that changed land in Lusby to industrial

Commissioner Mike Hart proposed expansion of moratorium to cover other industries beyond data centers

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen said the city will not participate in the race to the bottom until it is made clear how Baltimore can unequivocally win from this new technology

Gov. Wes Moore said data center developers should provide their own energy, finance infrastructure improvements, use local union labor, comply with environmental regulations, and local jurisdictions should retain ability to reject projects.

Cox focused criticism on TeraWulf's proposed data center development at the retired Morgantown coal fired power plant site in Charles County.

Dan Cox, Republican gubernatorial nominee, called for an immediate statewide moratorium on hyperscale data centers to evaluate their effects.

Sen. Johnny Ray Salling stated data center operators should be responsible for costs directly associated with serving their facilities

Moore said Virginia has the largest concentration of data centers in the world and Maryland should not replicate Virginia's approach.

Councilwoman Phylicia Porter stated data center industry is rapidly expanding and Baltimore should be part of that economic future but not at the expense of communities that have already absorbed so much

Sen. Johnny Ray Salling stated Maryland residents should not bear additional costs on utility bills from data center energy demands

Activist Hillary Gonzalez called the bill a conflict of interest and called for an outright ban on data centers

Sen. Johnny Ray Salling stated data centers should not be located in areas where noise, traffic, construction or other impacts would diminish residents' quality of life

Sen. Johnny Ray Salling opposed fast tracking or providing blanket approval for data center projects

Planning and Zoning Director Jason Brinkley said that AWS's conceptual site plan didn't meet the basic requirements for stormwater management at July 21 meeting

Ellis called for a data center ban and recision of any tax breaks already distributed to data centers.

Dan Cox said in a July appearance on WBAL NewsRadio that he would issue a moratorium if elected, citing concerns about rural lands being developed for power lines to serve data centers.

Andy Ellis, Maryland Green Party candidate for governor, announced he was bringing on Taylor Frazier McCollum, a Prince George's County anti data center activist, as campaign organizer focused on data center issue.

Gov. Wes Moore said when asked about supporting a ban: 'I'll work with the legislature to see exactly where we go with this. But I've been very clear about where my guidelines are.'

Del. Linda Foley stated utility bills have increased and much is attributed to data centers across PJM and the country

Councilmember Will Jawando said data centers previously received tax incentives but now the county wants to ensure adequate public benefit and energy protection

Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani Gonzalez stated the compromise went from six months to two years, settling on 18 months

Councilmember Evan Glass said there are concerns about water impacts to the Potomac River, utility bill rate payers, and community effects

School board recommended long term air quality monitoring, ongoing environmental noise studies and evaluating cumulative emissions from the campus

Community listening session at Carroll Manor Elementary on July 13 was attended by school board and about 100 members of the public who raised concerns about excessive noise and diesel generator pollution

Frederick County school board President Dean Rose and Vice President Rae Gallagher called for permanent buffer around Carroll Manor Elementary School in letter to county and state officials

Residents concerned about contaminated dirt at Eastalco brownfield site, diesel generator pollution, noise, light, stormwater, water consumption, and impact on rural character

Councilmember Will Jawando said he introduced a moratorium bill covering the Dickerson project and thanked the Executive for taking action

County Executive Elrich stated he is pausing permit processing to create time for the county to establish clear rules before applications move through permitting

Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe said the moratorium is intended to protect residents from grid strain, brownouts, and environmental impacts while welcoming responsible innovation

County Climate Change Officer Sarah Kogel Smucker said data centers consume large amounts of energy and water and the goal is to shape development aligned with climate goals

Gov. Wes Moore vetoed original study bill in 2025 citing cost and labor concerns