Data center restrictions tracker · Maryland

Data center moratoriums and restrictions in Maryland (2026)

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

As of August 15, 2026, this tracker documents 18 local government actions on data centers in Maryland, across 14 jurisdictions in 11 counties: 15 moratoria and 3 zoning exclusions. By status: 8 in force, 5 pending, and 5 enacted.

At the state level, the state has a ratepayer-protection law (enacted).

Data centers in Maryland used about 0.2 TWh of electricity in 2024; EPRI, Powering Intelligence 2026 (state-level dashboard) projects 7.8 TWh in its 2030, EPRI medium scenario.

Statewide actions in Maryland

Local actions in Maryland

Every documented local action in Maryland in the August 15, 2026 snapshot. Documented actions, not a census.
JurisdictionCountyActionStatusDate
Montgomery CountyMontgomery CountyMoratoriumin forceJuly 28, 2026
Prince George's County CouncilPrince George's CountyMoratoriumenactedJuly 7, 2026
Worcester CountyWorcester CountyMoratoriumpendingJuly 7, 2026
Frederick CountyFrederick CountyMoratoriumin forceJuly 1, 2026
Washington CountyWashington CountyMoratoriumin forceJune 30, 2026
Montgomery CountyMontgomery CountyMoratoriumenactedJune 13, 2026
Howard CountyHoward CountyMoratoriumenactedJune 2, 2026
Howard CountyHoward CountyMoratoriumpendingJune 1, 2026
Baltimore CityBaltimore cityMoratoriumpendingMay 11, 2026
Harford County Executive Bob CassillyHarford CountyMoratoriumpendingMay 7, 2026
Harford County CouncilHarford CountyMoratoriumpendingApril 21, 2026
Charles CountyCharles CountyZoning exclusionenactedMarch 2, 2026
Baltimore CountyBaltimore CountyMoratoriumin forceFebruary 2, 2026
Montgomery CountyMontgomery CountyZoning exclusionin forceFebruary 2, 2026
Carroll CountyCarroll CountyMoratoriumin forceFebruary 1, 2026
DickersonMontgomery CountyMoratoriumin forceFebruary 1, 2026
Frederick CountyFrederick CountyZoning exclusionenactedDecember 24, 2025
Prince George's CountyPrince George's CountyMoratoriumin forceSeptember 16, 2025

What one campus pays a local government

The parent piece's calculator puts a single large campus at $2M to $90M a year in local revenue, depending on the tax regime and abatements. The reference campus (Project Blue scale: $3.6B of capital, 286 MW) pays about $157M to local governments over 10 years. Permanent jobs run around 50 per facility.

Tax regimeReference caseAnnual local revenue, lowAnnual local revenue, high
Aggressive abatementMorrow County OR (enterprise zone)$2M$3M
Partial abatementGeorgia audit representative campus / El Paso Meta$27.8M$56M
Unabated equipment taxVirginia-style rates (Loudoun is the ceiling)$50M$90M

Run your own numbers in the calculator on the parent piece. Jurisdictions in Maryland that say no give up this revenue, not the jobs.

Sources

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