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6h ago

Counties and States Tighten Rules on Data Center Siting

Officials say the measures protect local power grids, limit water strain, give residents more say.

San Francisco is the capital of the AI industry, but is considering a moratorium on new data center construction. Here, a building housing a data center is seen in the city’s Rincon Hill neighborhood in 2025. 
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Prince William County to vote on major data center policy changes
Sandy Farms Data Center is a 109,455-square-foot facility south of BWI in Severn.

Overview

  • Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to end by-right approvals for data centers and shrink its Data Center Opportunity Zone by about 62 percent so future projects must get a special-use vote from the board.
  • Baltimore County’s council unanimously extended its moratorium on new data centers through December 2027 to let planners study impacts and recommend rules.
  • Anne Arundel County approved a 15-month moratorium that pauses new builds while a work group examines best practices and how to balance defense‑related jobs with environmental and resource concerns.
  • Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order on Wednesday creating a Data Center Task Force, a public dashboard and five review principles for large projects and said he will seek repeal of a 2020 tax exemption for some data centers.
  • Cities and utilities remain central to the fight because data centers draw large amounts of electricity and water, often require new substations like Dominion’s proposed Vint Hill upgrade, and create a trade-off between local revenues and strains on community services.