Data center restrictions tracker · Maryland

Dickerson County, Maryland: data center moratorium (2026)

Data snapshot 2026-08-15 · part of Pricing the Fear of Data Centers

Dickerson, Maryland, adopted a data-center moratorium on February 1, 2026. Its status in this snapshot is in force.

The record reads: "California-based Atmosphere Data Centers plans a $2 billion, 300MW data center complex on 170 acres at the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power plant in Dickerson, Maryland,. Atmosphere filed for water withdrawal and discharge permits… (datacentertracker.org)."

Details

ActionClassStatusDateMW thresholdScopeSource
Moratoriumrestrictionin forceFebruary 1, 2026county-widedatacentertracker.org

Jurisdiction type: county. County: Montgomery County. Dataset: datacentertracker. Snapshot August 15, 2026; documented actions, not a census.

Elsewhere in Montgomery County

Maryland context

Maryland has 18 documented local actions across 14 jurisdictions in this snapshot. At the state level, the state has a ratepayer-protection law (enacted).

A town that says no to a data center gives up local tax revenue, not jobs: one large campus pays $2M to $90M a year depending on the tax regime, against roughly 50 permanent jobs. The parent piece prices it and lists the conditions that beat a ban.

Sources

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