The bill, sponsored by Councilman Pat Young, a Catonsville Democrat and candidate for county executive, would direct the county’s planning board to study future data center projects and make recommendations to the County Council and administration. It would also impose a moratorium on permits and construction of data centers while that review is underway.
“The whole purpose is to slow down,” Young said in an interview, pointing to community impacts tied to large-scale data centers in Northern Virginia and Georgia. “We should be thoughtful when we’re doing this and also utilizing the tools that we have available through the local government to make sure we’re doing it right and providing everybody the opportunity to weigh in.”
Fast-growing industry under scrutiny
The proposal comes as Maryland lawmakers increase scrutiny of the fast-growing industry. During a December special session, the General Assembly voted to require state agencies to study the environmental, energy and economic impacts of data centers, overriding a veto by Gov. Wes Moore. The study is expected to cost $502,000, according to the bill’s fiscal note.
A fiscal note was not yet available for the Baltimore County bill.
In December, Baltimore County’s delegation of state legislators urged the council to create a plan for managing data centers in the county that includes guidance for site placement and environmental protections, as well as a moratorium on building the centers until that plan is developed.
The state legislators hosted a panel discussion in early December to begin examining the potential risks and benefits that such a complex could bring to the area in light of tentative plans to build a 42-acre, 150-megawatt data center in a former Social Security Administration building in Woodlawn.
No permits have been filed to build a data center in the county, according to county spokesman Dakarai Turner.
Deciding where data centers are allowed
Baltimore County adopted some zoning regulations pertaining to data centers in 2024, which define what a data center is and which zoning districts they can be built in. Those laws also state that data centers are permitted only east of Pulaski Highway or south of Liberty Road.
Young sees potential for a partnership with Baltimore County’s state delegation in working on legislation.
“Too often we are reactive to these kinds of things,” he said. “I think this is a way of being proactive and make sure that if we’re going to allow data centers in Baltimore County, that it’s done thoughtfully and we’re taking in consideration the impact on infrastructure needs and what that impact is on the communities nearby.”
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