Data centers

Candidate for council at-large urging a task force with teeth, citing potential 25-70% energy bill increases and emissions equal to 150,000 cars from the Dickerson proposal.

Speaking for Climate Coalition Montgomery County and the Sierra Club, urged a balanced task force and a moratorium until studies are done.

Supported the task force and a moratorium, focusing on data centers' enormous water consumption and drought impacts.

Described being displaced from her Rockville home by industrial subwoofer noise, calling the siting environmental racism and demanding Z-weighted noise testing.

Speaking for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said the Dickerson center's grid draw could add a million tons of carbon annually and urged clean-energy requirements plus a pause.

Silver Spring parent and former teacher questioned whether data centers solve real community needs and supported the ZTA with a moratorium amendment.

CCAN coordinator testified both measures should be favorable with amendments, citing $9.4 billion in PJM ratepayer costs and demanding 100% clean energy requirements.

A local tech business owner was the lone voice supporting the task-force approach, warning against one-size-fits-all regulation of data centers.

Retired public health professional and faith-community volunteer urged careful study of energy, water, and air quality impacts before siting.

Climate Policy Director at the Institute for Policy Studies cited $107.5 million in extra Maryland ratepayer costs in 2024 and urged community consultation and a possible no-data-centers finding.

Silver Spring resident urged a transparent, multilingual task force process and a full pause, citing the Potomac sewage spill and global water crisis.

A lifelong county resident with family roots in enslavement-era Montgomery County said data centers put profit over people and demanded 100% renewable energy.

Interfaith Power and Light representative said any task force must be centered on frontline community voices.

West Montgomery County Citizens Association representative called both measures inadequate, urging a moratorium, heavy-industrial-only siting, and attention to noise, EMF, and water impacts.

A veteran of the Prince George's County data center fight urged a hard moratorium and warned against the conflicts of interest seen in the prior county task force.

A George Mason emeritus professor and National Academy of Medicine member presented peer-reviewed findings that data centers pose significant public health risks and should be powered by renewable energy.

Sunrise DC youth activist opposed expanding data centers entirely, citing fossil fuel dependence and strained infrastructure.