Next Door To Data Center Alley, A Community Debates Whether To Welcome The Booming Sector
News ClipBisnow·Montgomery County, MD·3/10/2026
A data center developer called Atmosphere Data Centers is seeking approval to build a 300-megawatt data center campus on a 110-acre site in Dickerson, Maryland. This proposal has become a point of debate in Montgomery County over how to regulate the data center industry, with concerns around issues like climate change, conservation, equity, jobs, and economic vitality. The Montgomery County Council is considering a zoning text amendment to create specific land-use rules for data centers, which currently can be built almost anywhere in the county.
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Gov: Montgomery County Council, Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, Montgomery County Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe
Northern Virginia has long been the "data center capital of the world." Recently, the sector has spread to other parts of the country, including Montgomery County, Maryland, where Atmosphere Data Centers is proposing a 300-megawatt data center campus. The project has sparked a debate in the county over how to regulate the surging data center industry, with concerns about its environmental impact and the need for economic development. Montgomery County officials are considering zoning regulations and studies to better understand the effects of data centers, while the Atmosphere project seeks approval under the county's existing guidelines. The community is grappling with balancing the benefits and costs of embracing this new industry.