What’s happening in Maryland
Maryland has filed an emergency moratorium bill — one of the strongest legislative responses in the country.
HB 120 would prohibit construction of new data centers and prohibit state or local approvals for construction unless and until the General Assembly enacts specified legislation related to co-location with power generation, including natural gas, nuclear, or small modular reactors.
SB 596 would incentivize large-load customers (those with demand of at least 25 MW) to participate in demand response and onsite power storage programs.
Why Maryland residents are concerned
Grid reliability. Maryland's grid serves the densely populated Baltimore-Washington corridor. Adding massive data center loads threatens reliability for millions of residents.
Energy transition. Maryland has ambitious clean energy goals. The emergency bill's focus on co-location requirements reflects concern that data centers could lock in fossil fuel generation.
How to oppose a data center in Maryland
Attend your county commission or city council meetings. Local elected officials control zoning and land use decisions. Public comment periods are your most direct opportunity to voice opposition. Bring specific concerns — water impact, property values, electricity rates, noise — and reference relevant state and local legislation.
Send a formal opposition letter. Written opposition becomes part of the public record and carries significant weight with commissioners. Letters should cite specific concerns, reference relevant statutes, and be addressed to every commissioner by name. We handle this for you →
Organize your neighbors. Join or create a local opposition group. More than 268 community groups across 37 states are actively fighting data center developments. Strength in numbers changes votes.
Engage state legislators. Contact your state representative and senator. Tell them you support regulatory frameworks that protect communities from data center impacts — including moratoriums, ratepayer protections, and environmental review requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a data center moratorium in Maryland?
HB 120 is an emergency moratorium bill that would ban data center construction until the General Assembly enacts co-location rules for power generation. SB 596 addresses demand response requirements for large energy users.
How can I oppose a data center in Maryland?
Attend your county commission or city council meetings, submit formal opposition letters to your elected officials, and engage with state-level legislation. More than 268 community groups across 37 states are actively fighting data center developments. We can research your local officials and send a personalized opposition letter on your behalf for you.
How much water does a data center use?
A single hyperscale data center can consume up to 1 million gallons of water per day during peak cooling. AI data centers consumed roughly 17 billion gallons nationally in 2023, projected to reach 68 billion gallons by 2028.
Do data centers lower property values?
Research consistently shows that proximity to industrial infrastructure — including data centers — can negatively impact residential property values. Windowless warehouse-scale buildings, diesel generators, and continuous noise are incompatible with residential neighborhoods.