Prince George’s County pauses data centers for 2 years
Prince George's County Council has voted to enact a two-year moratorium on new hyperscale data center development. The decision was made following strong opposition from community members citing health and environmental concerns, despite some support from business developers and trade unions. The moratorium can be lifted if the council develops new regulations.
The Prince George's County Council has voted to implement a two-year moratorium on the construction of new hyperscale data centers within the county. This decision follows strong opposition from community members who raised concerns about potential health and environmental impacts, describing the developments as an "assault on our health and our environment." Opponents also argued that the jobs brought by data centers are temporary and primarily benefit out-of-state workers.
Conversely, trade unions and business developers advocated against the moratorium, asserting that such a pause would harm local businesses. A third group, accused by council members of being paid to protest in favor of data centers, was also present. Council members indicated that the moratorium could be repealed if the council successfully develops and passes its own comprehensive legislation and regulations concerning data centers, placing the onus on the council to establish a regulatory framework during the two-year pause.