A data center developer wanted a power plant. He needed Moore’s help.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore's administration offered to expedite permits for TeraWulf's proposed data center at the former Morgantown Generating Station in Charles County. This decision, revealed through emails, has sparked controversy due to campaign donations and concerns from local residents and environmental advocates about the project's reliance on natural gas and its potential environmental impact.
Emails obtained by The Baltimore Banner reveal Governor Wes Moore's administration intervened to support TeraWulf's plan to convert the defunct Morgantown Generating Station in Charles County, Maryland, into a large data center. TeraWulf CEO Paul Prager, whose company has historically focused on Bitcoin mining, sought state support to acquire the old coal plant and re-power it with natural gas to supply the proposed Chesapeake Data Campus.
The Moore administration, including Deputy Chief of Staff Chichi Nyagah-Nash and Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain, offered to expedite permits, including those for natural gas pipelines, after Prager's repeated requests and significant campaign contributions. This fast-tracking occurred before the public was aware of the project, drawing criticism from consumer advocacy group Public Citizen and local residents like Tina Wilson of the Port Tobacco River Conservancy, who expressed concerns about air quality, noise, and the environmental impact of a gas-powered facility.
Despite the state's letter, officials maintain that TeraWulf's project will undergo a standard permitting process and will not receive special treatment. The sale of the Morgantown plant to TeraWulf by GenOn Holdings still requires approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The controversy highlights the challenges the Moore administration faces in balancing economic development, particularly in the emerging data center industry, with climate goals and community concerns.