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Counties Pause Data Center Projects
Coverage from Axios, WTOP News, and others
Articles
42
Active Days
80
The Topic
Counties and cities in North Carolina and Maryland are weighing moratoriums, emergency bans, zoning changes, and operating requirements for new data centers. Officials and residents are focused on electricity demand, water use, noise, pollution, land use, and whether existing approval processes provide enough public oversight. The debate is forcing local governments to balance projected tax revenue and economic development against infrastructure constraints and community opposition, while several large projects already have approvals or are under construction.
First Article: 05/07/26
Latest Article: 07/25/26
Summary
- Charlotte is considering a 150-day moratorium while reviewing data centers’ effects on residents, water demand, and power use.
- Maryland counties are using pauses, emergency legislation, zoning changes, and proposed bans to reassess where data centers can be built.
- Residents are demanding public disclosure of water and electricity use, industrial-only zoning, renewable power commitments, and enforceable community benefits.
- Several large projects already have approvals or are underway, limiting the reach of proposed moratoriums.
- Data center opposition is influencing local elections, including primary contests in Frederick and Calvert counties.
- Economic arguments remain significant, with officials citing tax revenue, jobs, infrastructure funding, and redevelopment opportunities.
History
The story is mostly unchanged, but the framing has broadened slightly from approvals and moratoriums to include operating requirements and the fact that several major projects are already approved or underway, which limits how far new local restrictions can reach.
The story has shifted from a general wave of local scrutiny into a more concrete set of county-level policy actions, with Prince George’s County’s moratorium and Harford County’s emergency ban proposal showing the regulatory response is deepening. The updated version also emphasizes that opposition is now affecting local politics and that larger named projects are sharpening infrastructure and neighborhood conflicts.
Featured
05-11-2026
Charlotte City Council considers a 150-day moratorium on new data center applications, with a May 26 hearing and June 8 vote, while studying health and water-power impacts.
07-13-2026
Frederick and Calvert County primary election results in Maryland, driven by opposition to data center zoning and proposed pauses, increased momentum for moratoriums and tighter controls.
05-13-2026
Harford County, Maryland council hearings in May and June will consider a moratorium and proposed permanent ban on new data center development.
Timeline: 80 Days
Hover over any logo to see coverage summary, click for full article.
Additional Articles
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Charlotte City Council held a public hearing on a proposed 150-day moratorium after protesters opposed American Towers’ Hood Road data center expansion amid water and electricity concerns.
Prince George's County, Maryland, enacted a two-year moratorium on data center development while addressing environmental impacts and potential enforceable community benefits agreements.
Imperial County imposed a 45-day moratorium on hyperscale data centers after backlash over the Imperial Data Center, triggering CEQA, zoning, and water litigation in California.
Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC advances a hyperscale data center in Imperial County, as supervisors impose a 45-day moratorium amid a lawsuit and proposed state regulatory changes.
Harford County, Maryland, approved and signed Bill 26-010 in June 2026 to ban data centers after a public hearing and unanimous council approval.
Baltimore County, Maryland, Council backed Bill No. 3-26 in 2026 to pause new data center approvals pending a September 2026 Planning Board report.
On July 22, county committees advanced an 18-month data center moratorium and a zoning amendment banning data centers over 25 MW for a July 28 County Council vote.
Imperial County supervisors debated stronger building guidelines for data center proposals on Tuesday as residents urged a CEQA-based moratorium and multiple cities considered pauses.
Prince George's County, Maryland adopted a two-year moratorium on hyperscale data center development after debate over siting, water supply impacts, and utility pressure.
Kent County Levy Court approved Delaware data center siting regulations in central unincorporated areas, while county officials reviewed whether a countywide ban is legally viable.
Charlotte City Council may start a temporary pause on new data centers as residents raise noise, water, and electricity demand concerns, with Duke Energy tracking 7.6 gigawatts in its pipeline.
Prince George's County, Frederick County, and Montgomery County in Maryland paused data center development or permitting while environmental impact analyses proceed.
Prince George's County Council approved a two-year moratorium on new data center development in Maryland after a public hearing, while the county executive halted permitting through September.
Baltimore County, Maryland, will consider extending a data center moratorium and adopting stricter zoning and environmental oversight after a Planning Board hearing and vote in September.
Baltimore County staff presented a hyperscale data center impact report to the Planning Board on Thursday, with proposals affecting siting, noise, water use, and community contracting during a pause until 2027.
Montgomery County Council committees in Maryland advanced an 18-month data center moratorium and ZTA 26-01 for final votes on July 28.
Baltimore City Council passed a one-year moratorium on data center construction of 10 MW or more, with a nine-month impact study, for mayoral approval.
Montgomery County, Maryland council committees advanced an 18-month data center moratorium and a 25 MW zoning limit ahead of a July 28 vote.
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Harford County Council in Maryland approved emergency amendments to a proposed data center ban after a June 9 hearing was scheduled.
Baltimore County residents testified at the Planning Board in Towson on new data center siting rules tied to a proposed 150-megawatt Woodlawn project, ahead of an Oct. 1 County Council recommendation.
CCAN Action Fund reports nine Maryland counties and Baltimore City enacted data center moratoria starting late 2025, citing electricity, water, and community impacts.
Harford County council advanced emergency legislation banning data centers after a heated public hearing on Tuesday, with next steps expected June 9.
Baltimore County residents attended a Planning Board public hearing on data center expansion on Thursday after a February council moratorium.
Prince George's County Council passed a two-year moratorium on hyperscale data centers in Maryland to reassess water, health, and utility impacts while crafting future legislation.
Prince George's County Council in Maryland approved a two-year hyperscale data center development moratorium after public testimony on water, environmental effects, and utility strain.
Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly submitted legislation to permanently ban data centers in Harford County, Maryland, after county moratorium discussions and resident concerns.
Chair Oriadha Announces Two-Year Moratorium to Prevent New Data Centers from Operating in the County
Prince George's County Chair Oriadha announced a proposed two-year moratorium on new data center operations in Prince George's County, Maryland, to complete reviews of land use, power, water, and environmental impacts.
Baltimore County Council members in Maryland discuss extending a data center moratorium as a planning board report due October 1 guides decisions.
Evan Glass and Will Jawando, seeking Montgomery County, Maryland county executive, proposed moratoriums on new data center permits amid concerns over water, air pollution, and energy costs.
Howard County Council in Ellicott City, Maryland considered a proposed S.M.A.R.T. Siting bill to pause new data center projects for up to 18 months.
Harford County Council approved a 7-0 bill Tuesday that bans data centers in all zoning districts in Harford County, Maryland, after public hearings.
Montgomery County, Maryland, plans council committee reviews of data center moratorium bills and zoning text changes on July 22, with full Council action scheduled for July 28.
Baltimore City Council debates a moratorium on new data centers above 10 megawatts as Maryland funds Johns Hopkins for a $192 million Bayview ARCH expansion.
Harford County, Maryland officials considered emergency legislation in 2026 to permanently ban data centers, citing energy, infrastructure, noise, and water concerns.
Harford County, Maryland, officials weighed a data center zoning ban as Bill Vasilakopoulos proposed an AI energy campus on a Joppa golf course.
Baltimore City Council advanced a one-year data center moratorium on pending full-council vote, targeting standards after committee discussion set a 10-megawatt threshold.
Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly announced proposed legislation to permanently prohibit data centers in Harford County, Maryland, citing energy, environmental, and water concerns.
Charlotte City Council plans a May 26 public hearing and June 8 vote on a 150-day moratorium to pause new data center approvals.
Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $9 million grant for Johns Hopkins to build a 25,000-square-foot data science and computer center in East Baltimore while Baltimore City Council weighs a 10-megawatt moratorium threshold.