Baltimore County Councilman Pat Young is proposing a temporary freeze on building data centers in the county. It comes as there is an effort to build a 42-acre, 150-megawatt data center in Woodlawn.
Young said he’s been hearing from residents who fear the potential negative impact of a data center “if we don’t do anything and just allow open, wanton building of data centers because there’s space and it’s zoned appropriately.”
He added, “Taking that step back and taking that pause, having that informed discussion about the impact of data centers holistically is what’s necessary and needed.”
The Catonsville Democrat’s legislation, which he introduced Monday night, would not allow any building permits to be issued for data centers until January 1, 2027. No applications for permits would be accepted either.
While the hold is in place for data centers, the legislation would direct the county’s planning board to review the laws and regulations on the books. It would then submit a report with recommendations to the county council no later than October 1 of this year.
The study would include assessing how much power and public water would be required for a data center.
Young said a goal of the legislation is to make sure the facilities are built responsibly in Baltimore County
The Maryland General Assembly, which opens its 2026 session later this month, is expected to take up legislation to regulate data centers statewide. Young, who is a former state legislator, said the county should not wait for the state to take action.
“I think this is an opportunity to be proactive, while working as a partner with the state, and then being flexible enough to focus on the things that weren’t addressed at the state level,” Young said.
A landowner with property next to the Social Security Administration’s headquarters in Woodlawn is looking for a developer to build a data center, according to Young. The site is in his council district.
There are no data centers in Baltimore County.
According to Dakarai Turner, press secretary for County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, no permit applications have been filed regarding a data center in Woodlawn.
During Monday night’s council meeting Makeda Scott, who is a candidate for the county council, called for a data center moratorium. She pointed out that under current county law, data centers can only be built east of Pulaski Highway or south of Liberty Road.
“Whether intentional or not, this effectively steers a high-impact industrial use towards communities that are disproportionately Black and Brown,” Scott said.
