MoCo residents air concerns about utility rates, environmental impacts of data centers

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is considering implementing a moratorium on data center development in the county, following concerns raised by residents about utility rates and environmental impacts. County Council members have introduced bills to restrict data centers to industrially zoned areas and create a task force to study potential data centers. Residents expressed concerns about the electricity demands of data centers, which some say could lead to volatility in energy prices. Suggestions for addressing these concerns include requiring data centers to use on-site clean energy generation or enter power purchase agreements for renewable energy. While Elrich is open to a moratorium, some council members are hesitant due to the long-standing Dickerson data center proposal. The council and planning board are scheduled to hold public hearings on the data center-related bills in the coming weeks.