Howard County suspends data center development until fall 2027

The Howard County Council in Maryland unanimously enacted a temporary moratorium on new data center development, which will last until November 2, 2027. This decision was driven by the county's outdated 1993 zoning framework, which Council member Christiana Rigby, the bill's sponsor, stated does not adequately address the scale and operational impacts of modern data centers.

The legislation also mandates the creation of an 11-person task force. This task force will comprise experts in areas such as utilities infrastructure, water resource management, climate resilience, environmental science, acoustic mitigation, economic development, and data center operations, along with representatives from building trades unions. Its purpose is to study the impacts of data centers, gather public comment, and provide recommendations to the council and county executive within a year.

The moratorium aligns Howard County with other Maryland jurisdictions, including Baltimore County and Prince George's County, which have enacted similar pauses. Harford County is also reportedly considering a permanent ban on data centers. While some local residents and environmental groups, like the Howard County Sierra Club, supported the pause to allow for infrastructure and environmental planning, industry groups such as the Maryland Tech Council and NAIOP Maryland expressed concerns that a blanket moratorium could send a negative market signal.

Rigby emphasized that the moratorium is not intended to permanently block data centers, nor will it affect existing facilities or those already approved for construction. Instead, the goal is to develop appropriate guidelines for the placement and operation of data centers within the county, particularly in areas like the Columbia Gateway district.