Montgomery County Council to Consider Two-Year Data Center Moratorium

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large) is set to introduce legislation on Tuesday proposing a two-year moratorium on building permits for data centers. If enacted, his bill would immediately bar the county's Department of Permitting from issuing such permits for two years. A public hearing for Jawando's proposal is scheduled for June 16. Separately, Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large) recently introduced his own bill for a six-month moratorium on data center development, which would prohibit both grading and building permits. A public hearing for Glass's bill is also slated for June 16. Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) has not supported a moratorium but has urged developers to provide their own clean energy sources for future facilities in the county. These proposals reflect an ongoing discussion within the Montgomery County Council regarding the regulation of data center expansion.