Baltimore City, MD — At a Baltimore City Council meeting yesterday evening, the council voted to pass a one-year moratorium on the construction of data centers that use 10 megawatts or more of power annually. The moratorium, introduced by Council President Zeke Cohen, would also establish a nine-month study to determine new data centers’ impacts on energy infrastructure, ratepayers, the economy, as well as environmental and public health. The bill is now headed to the Mayor’s desk to be signed.

The move comes after the Maryland General Assembly passed the Governor Moore-backed Utility RELIEF Act last month. The bill incentivizes the buildout of dangerous methane gas and nuclear power plants for AI data centers. 

In response to the vote Food & Water Watch Maryland Organizer Jomar Lloyd stated,

“Dirty, costly data centers are unwelcome in Maryland. While Governor Moore and the General Assembly dragged their feet on protecting Marylanders from industry’s buildout, the Baltimore City Council is taking the necessary steps to protect families.

“This is an opportunity to determine if — not how — data centers can coexist with the needs of Baltimoreans. Today’s vote is a historic step in the right direction to prioritize people over profits for Big Tech.”

In March, Food & Water Watch released a first-of-its-kind report detailing the harms of the AI and data center boom infiltrating communities around the country. Last October, Food & Water Watch became the first national group to call for a data center moratorium. Over 250+ organizations have since joined the call.

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