Baltimore City Council introduces one-year moratorium on data centers

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen, joined by other council members and community advocates, formally introduced legislation at City Hall on Monday to enact a one-year moratorium on data centers within Baltimore. The proposed measure defines data centers as facilities requiring 10 megawatts or more of electrical power and would classify them as a prohibited zoning use category throughout the city for one year if enacted. This temporary ban is intended to provide city officials with time to conduct further studies and develop comprehensive regulatory plans for future data center development. The moratorium aligns with a study authorized by the Maryland General Assembly during its previous session, which aims to allow the state's Public Service Commission to establish a registration process for "large load customers," including data centers, as detailed in pending state legislation. Lawmakers emphasized that the goal is to ensure future data center projects are guided by policies that protect residents and preserve the city's infrastructure.