Overview
- The Anne Arundel County Council voted to put a 15‑month pause on new data‑center approvals while exempting projects already in development and allowing existing sites to expand.
- The ordinance creates a work and study group charged with reviewing other jurisdictions’ best practices and drafting legislation for the county executive and council.
- Baltimore County is moving to extend its existing moratorium through December 2027 after a Planning Board report said data centers draw heavy electricity, offer tax revenue but should not sit near homes.
- Residents and environmental groups pushed for restrictions over energy, water, noise and infrastructure impacts while tech companies and lawyers warned the pauses could stall jobs and local investment.
- The actions follow a wider Maryland pattern of short bans and studies used to update zoning for hyperscale facilities and will shape near‑term decisions about grid upgrades, water planning and where new centers can be sited.