Montgomery County Council approves temporary data center moratorium

The Montgomery County Council has enacted an 18-month moratorium on new data center developments to allow time to study their potential impacts on neighborhoods, the energy grid, and the environment. Reporter Tom Fitzgerald, live from Rockville, indicated the moratorium would take effect immediately upon the county executive's approval. The council aims to use this pause to craft new zoning laws and assess local impacts.

Environmentalists and supporters of the move have hailed the decision, while the pro-industry group Data Center Coalition criticized the council, arguing it signals that the county is "closed for business" and will cut off much-needed revenue. Council members emphasized the need to protect communities and ensure public benefit due to the high energy usage of data centers.

In related news, residents in Northern Virginia, specifically Fairfax County and Alexandria, are actively opposing a proposed data center project. They plan to attend a meeting with Dominion Energy to voice concerns about a new electric substation and transmission lines, which they claim will be located less than 67 feet from residential communities. The proposed facility is slated for Edsall Road, on the site of the former Plaza 500 distribution center.

Though developers can proceed under current zoning laws, residents are urging Fairfax County to halt the project. Dominion Energy clarified that the meeting is for information sharing, not decision-making. The Data Center Coalition also highlighted the economic contributions of data centers across Maryland, citing $11.4 billion statewide and $1 billion locally for services like schools and transportation.