Article Responding To:
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced he has signed an executive order to codify statewide guardrails for “transparent and accountable data center development” in Maryland.
The new order will also establish a Data Center Task Force that will be responsible for reviewing projects for large data centers, maintaining a public dashboard and supporting local governments.
The group, composed of members from the Maryland Energy Administration and the departments of Commerce, Labor, Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Planning.
“By signing this executive order, we are establishing clear safeguards to ensure Marylanders do not foot the bill, our people benefit, community voices are heard, and our environment is protected — all while centering transparency and accountability throughout the process,” Moore said in a news release.
The task force will review proposed large data centers that required more than 25 megawatts. The review process will occur when projects request a state permit, incentive or letter of support.
Projects will be considered in terms of five principles, including ratepayer and grid protection, economic benefits for Marylanders, community voice, environmental protections, and transparency and accountability. Following the review process, projects will be qualified as: aligned, conditionally aligned or not aligned.
The Governor’s Office said Moore will also seek to repeal a 2020 tax exemption that allowed certain data centers to be exempt from paying sales and use tax with the condition the centers would create at least five net new jobs for the duration of the benefit.
The 2020 program was intended to incentivize data center investment and job creation in the state.
What’s the state of data centers in Maryland?
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, lawmakers in 16 states, including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware, are considering moratoriums or bans on data centers.
Last year, four Republican delegates, including Baltimore’s Kathy Szeliga, introduced House Bill 120 to prohibit the construction of data centers in the state. The bill was discussed in a January hearing, but was not taken to a vote.
In the Baltimore metro area, multiple counties have passed moratoriums on data centers until 2027.
Response:
The issue of Datacenters & AI is driving the 2026 “midterm election.” …
National Polling on Datacenters is they are “quite unpopular” to votes with a 70 percent disapproval rating.
Red States like Texas & Blue States like New York have both taken actions on the “slowing / moratorium” of Datacenters.
President Trump says they are needed in winning the “AI War” with China, he has worked with big tech on the “Ratepayer Protection Act” working with them to build there own power supply so energy rates don’t increase on businesses and citizens.
However the concerns of energy usage, water consumption, the noise they make, environmental impacts, and the size of them are issues people seem to be concerned about..
People that defend Datacenters say they are needed for the future of our global economy & the “AI boom” , the tax revenue they generate, and the jobs they create. The State of Virginia and Loudoun County is the “datacenter” capital of the Country. Whch has seen financial benefits from the tax revenue they generate, Virginia is currently running a revenue Surplus.
Here in Maryland Red Counties like Harford and Wicomico have passed moratoriums, so has Blue Counties like Montgomery. Frederick County voted to expand a Datacenter in its County.
Maryland Republican nominee for Governor Dan Cox has said he supports a Moratorium Datacenters, he has accused Governor Moore from taking a large campaign donation from Terawulf, a company that wants to build a Datacenter in Charles County…
Now going with the “Poltical Tailwinds” on Datacenters Governor Moore this week is taking more of a “tough stance” on Datacenters….
Now where is this kind of leadership on energy generation in the State? Maryland has the highest energy rates in the Country. Since 2012 16 power plants in the State have been taken offline, now the State imports 40 percent of energy from other States & gone big in investing in Solar Energy, which after over $7 Billion Dollars of investment and currently generates a little over 8 percent of the States energy generation…
The Moore Administration and the Democrats in Annapolis passed a “34 page regulatory bill” that has “killed competition” on traditional energy in the State in 2024, should be no surprise that energy rates have increased by over a 1000 percent since that bill was passed…
The State needs a Taskforce on how to get these 16 plants back online to “increase” energy generation to bring real economic relief to our businesses and citizens.
Not “token rebate” checks & plan that saves people $12 dollars a month. States like New York that earlier this year that broke ground on a Natural Gas Pipeline….
That’s what Marylanders really need right now…