Calvert County board passes 6-month moratorium on new data centers
Calvert County commissioners have enacted a six-month moratorium on new data center applications, effective August 28. This decision follows significant public opposition and Amazon's recent withdrawal of plans to build a data center in Lusby. The moratorium prohibits the acceptance of any new site plan applications for data center development for the specified period.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners has officially passed a six-month moratorium on new data center development, starting August 28. The decision comes after widespread public outcry and a significant political shift that saw three incumbent commissioners, Earl "Buddy" Hance, Todd Ireland, and Mike C. Cox, ousted in elections after they initially opposed a moratorium. Commissioner Hance later reversed his stance, indicating support for the pause.
The public's mobilization began in late February when community members discovered Amazon's plans for a seven-facility data center near the nuclear plant in Lusby through a job posting. Residents subsequently packed county meetings to vocalize their concerns, which ultimately led to Amazon scrapping its development plans. Calvert County now joins several other Maryland counties, including Baltimore, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's, in implementing data center moratoriums, with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network stating that a majority of Maryland residents now live in areas with such bans or moratoriums in place.