Baltimore County to vote on extending data center moratorium until December 2027
The Baltimore County Council is scheduled to vote on extending a moratorium on new data center development until December 2027. The current one-year moratorium, approved in February, is set to expire in January 2027. Residents have expressed concerns about data center impacts, and a Planning Board report recommends against locating them near residential areas.
The Baltimore County Council is slated to vote Monday evening on whether to extend a moratorium on new data center development until December 2027. The council previously enacted a one-year moratorium in February, set to expire in January 2027, to allow the Planning Board to study the facilities' potential impacts and formulate recommendations. The proposed new measure would prolong this pause by nearly a year.
Areas such as Essex and Woodlawn are under consideration for future data center sites, sparking significant community concern among residents about the implications for their neighborhoods. Earlier this month, dozens of residents attended a Baltimore County Planning Board meeting to debate the issue, with some also protesting outside to voice opposition to further development.
During the Planning Board meeting, members reviewed a 51-page report that analyzed data centers' substantial electricity consumption and potential tax revenue benefits. However, the report specifically recommended against allowing data centers near residential areas. Brad Kroner, deputy director of government affairs for Baltimore County, emphasized that the report aims to present facts and best practices for regulation, rather than advocating for or against data centers.