Harford County councilman wants moratorium on data centers

The Maryland Data Center Alliance presented to the Harford County Council, advocating for data centers by highlighting their demand due to digital commerce, cybersecurity, scientific research, and potential job creation. They also addressed what they termed "myths" about data centers, emphasizing their positive economic contributions. Despite these arguments, Councilman Jacob Bennett announced his intent to introduce legislation for a moratorium on data centers within Harford County. He cited numerous community concerns, including pollution, noise, water usage, and electricity demand, emphasizing the need for a pause to research and implement safeguards. Bennett questioned whether the 50 to 100 jobs typically generated by a 1 million square foot data center were worth the negative impacts of a large footprint and high resource consumption. Harford County Executive Bob Casserly issued a statement confirming that data centers are not currently permitted under the Harford County code anywhere in the county, although proposals for zoning changes have been received from outside entities. Casserly voiced significant concerns about the potential negative impacts these facilities would have on the community and explicitly stated he does not support any legislation that would bring data centers to Harford County. Adding to the local discourse, residents have also reported unconfirmed rumors that a data center developer is looking to purchase land in Harford County, though WBAL-TV stressed they could not confirm the validity of these rumors.