Maryland county halts data center applications for a year after residents sound water alarm

Washington County, Maryland, will stop taking new data center proposals for a year while officials sort through concerns about whether local water supplies and the electric system could handle the demand.

The move to impose this yearlong moratorium came after a heated public hearing, and residents also questioned why the matter emerged so near the general election.

What happened?

What started as a proposed six-month delay became a yearlong moratorium Tuesday, when the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a longer pause on new data center applications by a 4-1 vote, according to Tri-State Alert.

County Attorney Zachary Kiefer told commissioners that data centers are "not adequately addressed" by county law because the zoning ordinance does not define their use.

Now, the moratorium bars the county from accepting, reviewing, or approving new applications during that period, though it does not affect existing uses, per Tri-State Alert.

Advocates urged the board to not lift the freeze until it completes a water use study, a grid impact analysis, and zoning updates, citing a Frederick County site that allotted 440,000 gallons of cooling water a day and saying regional electricity capacity pricing has climbed over tenfold in two years. 

The fears are certainly warranted, as artificial intelligence data centers have already caused Americans' energy bills to spike.

Why does it matter?

Data centers support cloud storage, streaming, online services, and the exploding AI sector. But the facilities can also consume enormous amounts of electricity and water.

Communities, including those in Washington County, worry about those trade-offs, with many opposing the construction of additional data centers.

The hearing also raised questions about public trust. Residents questioned the county's transparency and suggested the timing of the moratorium could postpone a politically difficult decision until after the next general election, per Tri-State Alert.

County officials have up to a year to determine whether, how, and where data centers should be allowed.

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