BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — In response to growing data center demand in the region and concern about rising energy bills, Baltimore County Councilman Pat Young is proposing legislation, which would temporarily prevent data center permits from being issued.
“I want to make sure that we are being proactive,” Young said.
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According to the bill, which was just introduced Monday, permits for data centers would not be issued until Jan. 1, 2027. County agencies would also be prevented from accepting applications. The bill also calls for the planning board to review the current county laws and regulations for data centers and submit a report and recommendations to the County Council, no later than Oct. 1, 2026. Young said the Planning Board would review information about permitting, electricity and water usage, appropriate regulations or policies, siting of data centers, and zoning regulations.
“This isn’t about anti-growth, this is about being thoughtful about what we are bringing here and doing it in the right way,” Young said.
“Maryland already has a significant crisis on its hands when it comes to power and usage, and where we are receiving our electricity from, and then anything adding to the burden and adding to the grid needs to be something that’s discussed and also done intent fully and thoughtfully, so that we are not putting the burden on regular citizens and regular domestic users,” he added.
This comes as there have been early talks of a 150 MW data center complex on a 42 acre site in the Woodlawn area. So far, no development plans have been submitted to the county.
On a state level, as the next legislative session approaches, several bills related to data centers will likely be up for debate.
“Utility bills are already going through the roof. And you know, if we build more data centers, that’s just going to drive up the demand for electricity, which is going to drive up those utility bills,” Delegate Sheila Ruth, a Democrat who represents Baltimore County, said.
“We need to make sure we have a plan for how to deal with them,” she added.
We don’t want to be like Virginia, where they’re propagating everywhere. We want to make sure that, that if they are developed, they’re developed in a planned, manageable way, you know, accounting for all of the issues.”
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During a special session at the end of last year, lawmakers voted to move forward with a bill to study the impacts of data centers, overriding a veto by Gov. Wes Moore.
This session, Del. Ruth said she is working on a bill related to data center planning and transparency.
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans have also voiced concerns about data centers, and will also likely be proposing legislation to ensure data centers contribute to the grid.
“We do not want a data center coming here without a feasible plan on how they’re going to provide energy to to supply what they’re going to need in order to operate properly,” Delegate Brian Chisholm, a Republican representing Anne Arundel County, told FOX45 News.
Read Young’s proposed Bill No. 3-26 in full below:
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