After 'We Can't Drink Data' protests, Maryland county pauses new data center permits for 18 months

Protest signs reading "We Can't Drink Data" set the tone for a high-stakes vote in Montgomery County, Maryland, where officials have decided to pause new data center permits while they study how the facilities could affect local water and power use.

What happened?

The Montgomery County Council approved an 18-month moratorium on new data center permits in an 11-0 vote, according to MyMCMedia. County leaders say the pause will allow them to assess how additional facilities might affect infrastructure and natural resources before adopting permanent regulations.

Councilmembers also passed ZTA 26-01, a zoning measure introduced by Councilmember Andrew Friedson that sets a legal definition for data centers in county code. The goal is to keep future restrictions from being undermined by loopholes.

That decision came after County Executive Marc Elrich had already put in place a separate six-month permitting pause. The council's action extends the halt into early 2028 and applies to a proposed data center project in Dickerson as well.

Residents and advocates filled the hearing room during the debate. Members of Food & Water Watch held signs that said "Stop Data Centers" and "We Can't Drink Data," and some attendees urged the county to ban artificial intelligence data centers entirely.

Why does it matter?

Data centers support many of the digital tools people rely on every day, from cloud storage to AI systems, but they also require significant amounts of electricity and water to operate and stay cool. That has made them a growing source of concern for communities trying to balance economic development with resource use.

In Montgomery County, much of the public concern appeared to focus on whether local officials had enough protections in place before additional projects moved forward. Rather than allowing permits to continue under unclear standards, the council chose to slow the process and study the issue first.

Moratorium sponsor Evan Glass underscored that approach during the meeting.

He said, "Pausing on them for 18 months. We have to get this right."

What's being done?

For now, county leaders are treating the moratorium as a planning window. During that period, Montgomery County is expected to study the effects of data centers and draft regulations alongside a state review.

Officials also stressed that the measure is not a blanket shutdown of the industry. Existing data centers can continue operating while policymakers work on rules that could determine where future projects are allowed and what standards they would have to meet.

The county's two-part approach — first defining data centers in law, then temporarily freezing new permits — suggests officials are trying to avoid rushed approvals while building a clearer framework for the future.

As Councilmember Will Jawando put it, "We're not going to be twiddling our thumbs for the next 18 months."

 And Councilmember Dawn Luedtke stressed that the pause is about planning, not panic: "We already have data centers here. We are not going to do things that shut existing data centers down."

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