Montgomery County votes to pause data centers for 18 months
Montgomery County has enacted an 18-month moratorium on data center development, following a vote by the county council. This decision aims to allow time to study the environmental and community impacts of data centers and align with regional planning. The moratorium puts a proposed data center project by Atmosphere Data Center at the old Dickerson coal plant on hold.
The Montgomery County Council in Maryland voted to approve an 18-month moratorium on new data center development within the county. The council president stated the pause is intended to allow the county to study the environmental and community impacts of data centers and coordinate with other jurisdictions in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) region on a cohesive approach.
The decision impacts a significant proposed data center project at the former Dickerson coal plant site, placing it on hold. Atmosphere Data Center, the company behind that proposal, expressed disappointment with the council's decision. The company had previously highlighted plans to build a sustainable data center that would manage its own energy needs and contribute approximately $758 million in taxes over 15 years. Following the moratorium, Atmosphere Data Center indicated it would reassess its future plans for development in Montgomery County.