WICOMICO COUNTY & DORCHESTER COUNTY, Md. — Leaders in Wicomico and Dorchester counties are considering moratoriums on data center development, as officials on the Eastern Shore watch closely following a similar debate in nearby Federalsburg.
Both counties held meetings Tuesday night to discuss potential one-year pauses that would give local governments more time to study the impact data centers could have on infrastructure, land use and natural resources.
The discussions come just one day after Federalsburg approved a three-year moratorium on data centers, following concerns over a proposed facility there.
Wicomico County
Public comment is expected on a proposed one-year moratorium in Wicomico County that would affect unincorporated areas — like Parsonsburg — which are managed directly by county leadership, instead of being run by a city mayor or town council.
County Council member Josh Hastings said the county wants to be prepared before any data center proposal comes forward.
"We want to make sure that Wicomico County is not caught flat footed," Hastings said. "If a data center is to come, and be proposed here, we want to make sure that we have time to think through what that impact could look like."
Hastings said the county is particularly concerned about effects on energy, water quality and water use, especially given Wicomico County's proximity to Northern Virginia, which Hastings referred to as the data center capital of the world.
"They could dramatically impact things like energy, water quality, water use, all of that together," Hastings said. "It's not that we're going to be against data centers in any particular strong way. We just want to make sure that if they are coming, that they're put in the right places to lessen the impact on people and the environment."
Hastings said the county is also working to define what qualifies as a data center, distinguishing large-scale facilities from smaller server rooms used by hospitals or local businesses. He added that state legislation has tried to require data centers to bring their own power source, given the energy demands of the facilities.
If approved down the line, the moratorium would give the county a full year to better understand data centers — including reviewing an upcoming statewide data center impact and analysis report, expected to be released in September — before deciding on next steps. Hastings said this would allow the county time to read the state report and align with state policy.
Additionally, Hastings said the lower Eastern Shore currently lacks a lot of the infrastructure to support large data centers. He said the lower shore doesn't have the transmission capacity to support one, noting the area's transmission lines are already, in his words, "too packed."
As a result, he said any future data center would likely have to happen through renewable energy and battery storage — while still maintaining a tie to the broader electric grid or a connection to a natural gas facility
Hastings noted that Tuesday's meeting was just the beginning of the conversation with the public, with more discussion expected over the coming months.
One resident in Parsonsburg said he supports the county taking its time.
"I'm glad they're taking more time to think about what they're doing, because too many times, governments rush into things without thinking about it," Jim Fardelmann said.
Dorchester County
In Dorchester County, commissioners are expected to introduce a resolution Tuesday night for a similar one-year moratorium that would temporarily bar people from requesting permits or zoning changes to build a data center. This would only apply to the unincorporated parts of the county.
Dorchester County Council President Lenny Pfeffer said concerns grew after seeing the situation unfold in nearby Federalsburg.
"When we started hearing about the issues going on in the town of Federalsburg right next to us, we started realizing this is something that could happen here in Dorchester County," Pfeffer said.
After asking county staff to investigate data centers, Pfeffer said they came back and suggested a moratorium.
"The county council is concerned that the stressors from a data center with the water, wastewater and electricity demands would put a strain on the infrastructure as well as the personal wells for the citizens of the county," Pfeffer said.
Pfeffer emphasized the moratorium isn't meant to reject data centers outright.
"Tonight's not saying no to data centers or technology," Pfeffer said. "It's saying, let's take a pause so that we can learn more about them and make a more well-informed decision as we go into the future."
If the resolution is approved, it will move to a public hearing — expected sometime in mid-to-late August — where the public can weigh in before commissioners decide whether to formally pass the moratorium.
Pfeffer said the pause is expected to have minimal financial impact on the county, requiring mostly staff time to gather information from experts and residents over the coming year.
One resident of Linkwood, an unincorporated town in Dorchester County, said he supports the idea.
"I think they should take a year off," Zarion Brown said. "I know this is a small area, so I think a year to research it and think about it would be good."
Looking ahead
Wicomico County leaders say a data center analysis and report from the state is expected to be released next month, which officials hope will help guide future decisions.
