Prince George’s County Council approves 2-year data center moratorium
Prince George's County Council has approved a two-year moratorium on new data center developments, halting applications until new regulatory legislation is enacted. This decision follows months of resident concerns regarding environmental and community impacts, intensifying debates over the industry's local presence. The council's action builds upon an earlier executive order imposing a temporary pause on data center permits.
The Prince George’s County Council has voted to enact a two-year moratorium on new data center developments, prohibiting the county's planning department from approving applications until new legislation to regulate such facilities is passed. Council Chair Krystal Oriadha, who co-sponsored the resolution with Tom Dernoga, supported the compromise to halt the zoning process amid ongoing discussions, while council member Tim Adams voted against it due to concerns about its duration.
The decision follows months of vocal concerns from residents about the environmental and community impacts of data centers, with many critics attending the council meeting. This move makes Prince George's County the latest Maryland jurisdiction to restrict data center development, following similar six-month moratoriums in Montgomery and Frederick counties and a yearlong pause in Washington County. The council's resolution supplements an existing moratorium put in place by County Executive Aisha Braveboy last September, which has been extended multiple times.
Opposition has been particularly strong against a proposal to redevelop the former Landover Mall site into 4.1 million square feet of data centers. Taylor Frazier McCollum, who spearheaded a petition with nearly 24,000 signatures, expressed fears of worsened air quality and harm to the ecosystem. Conversely, a group of proponents, advocating for economic benefits, testified that data centers are not as water-intensive as often claimed.
Council member Shayla Adams-Stafford, whose district includes Landover, urged consideration of a bill she is drafting based on the Qualified Data Center Task Force’s recommendations. This legislation aims to address specific concerns, including environmental and energy issues, and prevent hyperscale data centers from being built in residential areas.