Just two weeks after the Prince George’s County Council approved a data center moratorium, there could be a new proposal aimed at where data centers could be placed within the county.
The two-year moratorium includes an exception if the county council enacts legislation to address the placement, construction and operation of data centers.
“I knew it wasn’t the best thing,” community advocate Taylor Frazier McCollum said. “I knew that the moratorium left the door too wide open for data centers to still come in and have their say.”
She’s concerned data centers will drive up bills.
Council member Wanika Fisher plans to introduce zoning legislation about where data centers would be permitted in Prince George’s. The data centers would be located in certain rural, agricultural and residential zones mainly in the northern and southern parts of the county.
The proposal also calls for detailed site plan reviews for campuses under 200 acres.
News4 reached out to Fisher about the proposal but has not heard back.
Earlier this month, Fisher, along with other council members, lobbied for holding off on implementing a data center moratorium, but council ultimately moved forward.
“At least for me, I think a lot of colleagues would want time,” Fisher said. “I’ve heard several colleagues say that even in the substitute motion I don’t think there’s agreement on a two-year moratorium. Today I think people need time to digest and gather information.”
According to a planning department staff report, members suggested the planning board vote no on the data center zoning proposal and cites environmental concerns.
“Potentially bring harm to the environment by polluting our water and our air, because the way that data centers are being built right now, that’s the problem,” Frazier McCollum said. “There could be equitably and environmentally sound built data centers, but they’re not doing that.”
The county planning board is expected to have a hearing on the data center zoning legislation Thursday. Opponents and supporters are expected to attend.
