Calvert Commissioners Pass 6-Month Data Center Moratorium -
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed a six-month moratorium on new data center development, following intense local opposition and the recent withdrawal of a major Amazon Web Services project. Residents raised concerns about the impact on the local power grid, water supply, and noise levels, advocating for a longer pause and zoning changes. This decision reflects a significant shift in the county's political landscape, influenced by anti-data center sentiment.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted on August 18 to enact a six-month moratorium on new data center development, effective August 28. This decision comes after months of escalating local conflict over the industry's expansion and a significant political shift within the county, which saw incumbent commissioners opposed to a moratorium lose their primary races to challengers campaigning against data center growth.
The moratorium was approved following a public hearing where many residents voiced concerns about potential strains on the local power grid, water supply, and increased noise levels, with some advocating for a longer two-year pause similar to those in other Maryland jurisdictions. Commissioners indicated plans to consider future changes to the county's zoning ordinance regarding data centers as a permitted use.
This vote occurred less than three weeks after Amazon Web Services (AWS) withdrew its application for the Calvert Technology Center, a large data center campus near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby. Amazon attributed its withdrawal to internal planning factors, although the project had become a focal point for local opposition. Constellation Energy, the plant owner, expressed continued interest in digital infrastructure investment in the region. Meanwhile, a separate data center proposal from developer Natelli Holdings along Route 4 remains active, meaning the moratorium is not merely symbolic.