Council vote reflects growing movement across Maryland demanding time to establish safeguards before new data centers move forward

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Anne Arundel County Council unanimously passed yesterday Council Bill 63-26, legislation that would place a 15-month moratorium on new data center development. The vote adds Anne Arundel County to a growing statewide movement calling for a pause while communities and public officials consider how to address the harmful impacts of reckless data center proliferation. Before this vote, 80 percent of Marylanders were already living in a jurisdiction that had pressed pause, and this decision will bump that up to 90 percent. (For a county-by-county tally, see the chart below.)

“Anne Arundel County’s vote is another sign that communities across Maryland are asking for the same thing: time to put strong protections in place before data center development accelerates,” said Lauren Gygax, Maryland Program Associate at CCAN Action Fund. “All seven members of the Council not only voted to pass this legislation, they also asked to be made cosponsors of the bill. Now more than ever, state leaders should take up a statewide moratorium bill and ensure that our communities have the safeguards they need.”

At a public hearing of the Charles County Board of County Commissioners on September 15,  Delegate C.T. Wilson said, “I’m going to be putting in a two-year moratorium for data centers for the state of Maryland…and the reason it’s two years is because you can always add a third or a fourth or a fifth…we’ve got to get a handle on this…This is not even a red and blue thing at this point.”

“We have residents who are extremely concerned about this,” said Councilmember Nathan Volke, the Anne Arundel County moratorium bill sponsor. “If we have unchecked continued growth of data centers, it would be a serious concern for the use of resources and use of our land in the county, and we need to address that. I know energy costs are front of mind for a lot of people, and we can’t regulate this at the county level; we can only do that to the extent that we are not building new things that are going on that are pulling load from the energy system. It is really an important moment for this county to hit the pause on data centers.”

Anne Arundel’s 15-month pause gives the county time to consider rules for data center development. This moratorium strengthens the case for the General Assembly to enact a statewide pause in 2027, ensuring no community is forced to confront these high-impact projects before Maryland has adopted comprehensive safeguards.

“There is a strong feeling in our county to delay data centers so that plenty of research can be done,” said Meg Kauder, resident of Pasadena MD, at the hearing last night. “We are concerned with rising energy costs, impacts on our water sources, and noise and air pollution. I am very relieved that the bill was passed. Luckily in the 15 month moratorium, a study group will look at monetary &  environmental impacts, and develop protective standards & laws  in terms of water use, heat & noise impact,& electricity costs  which  data centers in Anne Arundel county will be required to follow.”

The Anne Arundel County Council’s decision further demonstrates that Maryland’s data center debate is not confined to any one community or region. From the Eastern Shore to Central Maryland and Western Maryland, local governments are recognizing that Big Tech’s rapid expansion cannot continue without meaningful public oversight, enforceable environmental standards, and a clear plan for protecting ratepayers, water supplies, public health, and the state’s climate commitments.

Tally of Maryland Counties and Cities with Moratoriums or Bans on Data Centers

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund is dedicated to driving change in public policies at the local, state, and national levels to address the climate crisis. Through voter education, lobbying, and participation in the electoral process, we seek to advance our country’s leadership in the global movement toward clean energy solutions — focusing our efforts primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. We know that a vibrant democracy is central to our success, so we work to defend democratic integrity wherever we can.