Update: The County Council final vote on both the 18 Month Data Center Moratorium bill and the ZTA on Tuesday 7/28 was 11-0 in favor of sweeping data center pauses. See the agenda with staff reports, bill texts and videos here.
We are coming to you with potentially very good news - your calls, emails and testimony caused a change of course on Data Centers in MoCo. We are more likely than ever to be moving toward a moratorium - and strong regulations. It all hinges on Wednesday's Council Committee meetings and we'd love you to show up! Read on for (tentatively) great news!
They Heard Us!
What Happened?
Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González, Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles announced a multi-pronged approach on July 15th regarding data center legislation. Read more here.
In a nutshell - the 6 month (Glass) and two year (Jawando) moratoriums already proposed are being fast tracked while the proposed ZTA 26-01 that would have opened 2000 acres of the county to data centers will now get an amendment from its own sponsors defining hyperscale data centers and then prohibiting them in ALL zones - meant to clear up the lack of regulations we have now while proper regulations are crafted.
To be clear, MCA and our partners support both a two year pause and the amended ZTA to allow time and space to first research and then craft strong standards for data centers.
How can you help?
It all goes down Thursday Wednesday the 22nd - Please join us if you can at one/both of these council committee worksessions with signs and your presence to push for a 2 year pause/the ZTA amendment that prohibits data centers.
There is still time to contact your council member about the importance of a two year moratorium.
Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González, Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles announced a multi-pronged approach on July 15th regarding data center legislation. Read more here.
In a nutshell - the 6 month (Glass) and two year (Jawando) moratoriums already proposed are being fast tracked while the proposed ZTA 26-01 that would have opened 2000 acres of the county to data centers will now get an amendment from its own sponsors defining hyperscale data centers and then prohibiting them in ALL zones - meant to clear up the lack of regulations we have now while proper regulations are crafted.
To be clear, MCA and our partners support both a two year pause and the amended ZTA to allow time and space to first research and then craft strong standards for data centers.
How can you help?
It all goes down Thursday Wednesday the 22nd - Please join us if you can at one/both of these council committee worksessions with signs and your presence to push for a 2 year pause/the ZTA amendment that prohibits data centers.
- 9:30am- The ECON Committee will take up both the 6-18 month* and 2 year moratorium bills. Whatever makes it out of committee will come up for a vote at the whole council on July 28th. An affirmative vote at full council on an expedited bill means they go into effect immediately.
* the 6 month bill has an amendment stretching it to 18 months see the staff report here. The 2 year bill has not been amended.
- 1:30pm - The PHP Committee will hear an amendment to ZTA 26-01 that would define and then prohibit data centers. If approved, this reaches the Council on July 28th for a vote as well.
- See exact schedule for July 22 on Council's website, as it may change.
- Location: Council Hearing Room on the 3rd Floor, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville.
- If you are not able to join us in person, watch the work session here.
There is still time to contact your council member about the importance of a two year moratorium.
We can't thank our supporters enough - this potential victory is because of all the folks who kept the pressure up. Time and again, this is how we come together to get it done - your support and action looks to have won the day.
Plus - A Statewide Moratorium?
Perhaps you saw that New York State just enacted a year pause on Data Centers- why not Maryland? The upcoming special session in Annapolis (Aug 3-5) is an opportunity to get a pause statewide. Take a moment to write your state senator with a letter tool from our partners at the MoCo Climate Coalition.
Perhaps you saw that New York State just enacted a year pause on Data Centers- why not Maryland? The upcoming special session in Annapolis (Aug 3-5) is an opportunity to get a pause statewide. Take a moment to write your state senator with a letter tool from our partners at the MoCo Climate Coalition.
