Maryland governor opts for new data center standards over moratorium
Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued an executive order establishing a state task force to review data center proposals and hold them to new standards, focusing on environmental, energy, and economic impacts. While he promised to roll back state tax incentives for data centers, he stopped short of enacting a statewide moratorium on new data center development, disappointing environmental groups. The new policy aims to increase transparency and accountability for developers in the state.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order on September 23 to address the environmental, energy, and economic impacts of the state's growing data center industry. The order establishes a state task force responsible for compelling data center developers to operate more transparently and minimize adverse effects on local communities and infrastructure.
The task force will review data center proposals with over 25 megawatts in peak energy demand, requiring facilities to either generate their own electricity or offset public grid power costs, and prioritize hiring Maryland residents. A public dashboard will track details like parent company, energy demand, water use, and employment, with non-compliant developers labeled as "not aligned."
While Gov. Moore committed to rolling back state tax incentives for data centers, he notably did not implement a statewide moratorium on new development, a stance he had hinted at previously. This decision drew criticism from environmental groups like Food & Water Watch, whose regional director Jorge Aguilar described the executive order as hasty and insufficient, arguing Maryland needs a full data center moratorium.