Maryland
Active Bans / MoratoriumsMaryland HB 120 (data center construction moratorium unless co-located with generation) died in committee when the General Assembly adjourned in early April 2026, but county governments have made Maryland one of the most restricted states in the country. Howard County unanimously passed CB31-2026 — the S.M.A.R.T. Siting Act — on June 1, 2026, halting new data center development through November 2, 2027 and creating a study task force. Prince George's County enacted a two-year pause on hyperscale development on July 7, 2026 (liftable early if a zoning framework is adopted). On May 11, 2026 the Baltimore City Council passed Bill 26-0158, a one-year moratorium on data centers using 10 MW or more plus a nine-month impact study. On July 22, 2026 Montgomery County Council committees voted unanimously to merge two competing bills into a single 18-month moratorium and send it to the full council, building on County Executive Elrich's six-month executive-order pause from June. Baltimore County and Frederick County restrictions also remain in place. Prince George's County extended its hyperscale pause in early August 2026. On August 9, Amazon withdrew a planned campus near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, citing internal infrastructure planning rather than local opposition; Calvert County is pursuing a six-month moratorium regardless. On September 22, 2026 the Baltimore County Council voted unanimously to extend its data center moratorium through the end of 2027, citing insufficient industry responses on environmental impact and energy costs. Washington County's commissioners approved a 12-month moratorium on data center applications in unincorporated areas on June 30, 2026, and announced in late September a regulatory timeline extending through a June 2027 public hearing.
Legislation
| Bill | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HB 120 | Data Center Construction and Power Co-Location Act | Failed — session ended |
Local Actions
County Council adopted a two-year moratorium on hyperscale data centers.
County Executive issued 180-day moratorium on data center permits. Expired February 2026. Led to permanent regulations.
County Council voted unanimously on September 22, 2026 to extend the county's data center moratorium through the end of 2027; the original 90-day pause (adopted January 2026 after a plan to convert a 42-acre Woodlawn site into a 150 MW data center) had been set to expire at year-end. Council members cited insufficient industry responses on environmental impact and energy costs; a planning board study has been delivered but not yet reviewed.
County Council voted unanimously on July 28, 2026 to approve Expedited Bill 19-26, barring the Department of Permitting Services from issuing data center permits for 18 months. The bill was a compromise between a six-month pause proposed by Councilmember Evan Glass and a two-year pause proposed by Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink. The Council simultaneously approved a zoning text amendment defining data centers in county code and placing limitations on where they may be built.
Council passed Critical Digital Infrastructure Overlay Zone limiting data center development to ~2,600 acres (0.6% of county). For every new data center acre, county preserves five acres of farmland.
City Council passed Bill 26-0158 on May 11, 2026 — a one-year moratorium on data centers using 10 MW or more, paired with a nine-month impact study — and sent it to Mayor Scott for signature.
County Council unanimously passed CB31-2026, the S.M.A.R.T. (Strategic Moratorium for Assessing Responsible Technology) Siting Act, halting new data center development through November 2, 2027 and creating an up-to-11-member task force to study impacts and advise the council. The county began seeking task force applicants on July 6, 2026.
Amazon withdrew its planned campus near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, citing internal infrastructure planning rather than local opposition. The county is pursuing a six-month data center moratorium regardless.
Board of County Commissioners approved a 12-month moratorium on data center applications in unincorporated areas on June 30, 2026. On September 30, 2026 the county announced a multi-year regulatory timeline, with a public hearing on permanent regulations planned for June 2027.