Since Governor Wes Moore entered office in 2023, climate change has worsened for Marylanders. Baltimore saw record-breaking heat, Western Maryland was hit hard by historic flooding, and drought conditions are persistent in much of the state.

But despite declaring bold and desperately needed climate goals, running on a platform where no one is left behind, Moore has backslid on his promises. His policies have done more for Big Tech and the nuclear and gas industries than for his constituents. And rather than address the root causes of climate catastrophe, the Governor is scrambling to slap Band-Aids on open wounds and failing to plan for the future. That isn’t sustainable. 

Moore can and must course correct to put Marylanders first — or else these six blunders will define his administration’s failures on clean, affordable energy and a livable climate.

1. Moore Clears the Way for More Data Center Pollution

In supporting and signing the Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act of 2024, Moore made it easier than ever for polluting data centers to dodge regulation. The law exempts high-energy-use facilities — including data centers — from the regulatory review required by law when setting up things like power plant-sized diesel generators. 

These reviews provide necessary protection by ensuring developers aren’t endangering people or the environment. A recent Food & Water Watch report on the harms of data centers underlines why skipping them is so problematic. Diesel generators emit more harmful pollutants than newer gas plants. Hazardous air pollutants from diesel generators contribute to smog and worsen childhood asthma cases and elderly cognitive decline. 

Living next door to Virginia, the data center capital of the world, is already putting Marylanders at risk of increased air pollution exposure. Nevertheless, Moore signed a bill that he himself said would “supercharge the data industry in our state.” 

2. Moore Fast-Tracks Data Centers, Putting Big Tech Over Marylanders

In 2025, Moore introduced a plan to fast-track six projects, including a 2,100-acre data center campus called Quantum Frederick. As he said in a press release, “We refuse to let red tape stand between our state and a growing economy.” 

While this so-called “red tape” may annoy developers, it’s a safety net to ensure the health and safety of communities. 

Hyperscale AI data centers like Quantum Frederick are extremely taxing on water resources and electricity. A Food & Water Watch report lays out that by 2028, data centers could use as much electricity as 55 million households and as much water as 18.5 million households. 

Moore’s support for Big Tech’s AI boom goes against the interests and wishes of the Marylanders who are showing up and saying “NO” to data centers across the state.

In the past couple of months alone, Harford, Prince George’s, and Montgomery Counties have enacted data center moratoriums, while even more communities are fighting proposals at the local and county level.

3. Moore Props Up Expensive Gas and Nuclear 

In passing the Next Generation Energy Act of 2025, Moore has directly flouted Maryland’s climate goals and locked the state into more dirty, expensive energy. The bill boosts gas and nuclear in the name of increasing energy generation.

While the General Assembly banned fracking in 2017 and Moore declared a path towards 100% renewable energy just a year prior, Maryland’s actual energy use tells a different story. The state has been dragging its feet on its renewable transition. 

Natural gas-fired generation in Maryland multiplied nearly sixfold in the past decade, while the state only received 14% of its energy last year from renewable sources (solar, wind, and hydropower). A 2026 report from the University of Maryland shows that the state is even further behind on its climate goals than projected in 2023. 

While the Next Generation Energy Act delivered energy stipends to families facing financial hardship, it did little to address the root cause of both the climate catastrophe and the cause of high energy bills — expensive methane fracked gas.

4. Moore Shuts Down Popular Climate and Data Center Legislation

Moore was on a vetoing kick after the 2025 legislative session. He vetoed multiple bills that communities and environmental groups were excited about, including climate Superfund and data center impacts study bills.

State Climate Superfund bills are an innovative way that states can generate the money needed to mitigate climate change’s impact on cities, infrastructure, and resources. From 1980 to 2024, 75 natural disasters have cost Maryland up to $20 billion.

In early 2025, the state legislature passed the RENEW (Responding to Emergency Needs From Extreme Weather) Act, which would authorize a study to determine who the top polluters are and what they should pay in climate damages. It was the first major step toward a Superfund bill that would bring in funds while holding polluters accountable.

But then, seemingly out of nowhere, Moore vetoed the bill, only to reverse course at the eleventh hour. Despite the governor’s promises to fund the study bill, the legislature overrode Moore’s veto and enshrined the RENEW study in law, making sure he couldn’t do any more sidestepping.  

As for data centers, Maryland’s General Assembly passed another study bill in 2025: the Data Center Impact Analysis and Report bill. The legislation establishes a study on the environmental and economic footprint of data centers. It was a simple bill, and one desperately needed as some Marylanders fear their communities are being targeted for data center development.

While welcoming these facilities into the state, Moore was unwilling to make public and environmental health a consideration. He also vetoed this bill (which the General Assembly successfully overturned). 

Moore’s rejections of popular bills are utter head-scratchers, making us wonder why the governor went from supporting a green economy to a data center economy instead.

Who is he actually serving? 

5. Moore Fails to Rein in Factory Farm Pollution 

As one of the nation’s top broiler (meat) chicken producers, Maryland has an abundance of polluting factory farms. Food & Water Watch analysis finds that at any given time, Maryland confines some 36 million chickens on factory farms, generating 548 million pounds of waste. 

Last summer, Maryland’s Confined Animal Feed Operation (CAFO) permit was up for review. This permit regulates pollution from factory farms and is critical to protecting public and environmental health. Food & Water Watch and eight other groups urged the Moore administration to improve the permit and outlined the measures needed to do just that.

But Moore’s Department of the Environment (MDE) dragged its feet for months and allowed the permit to lapse. The situation wasn’t resolved until April, when MDE passed new rules — without any of Food & Water Watch’s recommendations. 

6. Moore Bands Behind the Utility RELIEF Act 

Moore’s Utility RELIEF Act aimed to address the high electricity bills burdening families, but it’s a failure for people’s long-term financial health and the climate. 

Introduced at the eleventh hour of the legislative session and signed in early May 2026, the bill made big trade-offs. In order to provide electricity stipends to families, the state seized funds from EmPOWER, Maryland’s energy efficiency program. Fears have been raised that this will make energy bills more expensive in the long run. 

EmPOWER currently helps lower energy bills and reduce the state’s climate emissions. And while the Utility RELIEF Act weakens this important program, it also laid the groundwork for expanding nuclear energy, which Moore has embraced as a “clean” energy despite it producing radioactive waste and being extremely water-intensive.

The Act also puts ratepayers on the hook to pay even more for an expensive nuclear buildout if a nuclear reactor developer goes over its approved quote.

Additionally, the Utility RELIEF Act set in motion a study to identify up to 50 energy sites for new or expanded generation stations. When paired with the Next Generation Act passed last year, this could be a boon to fast-tracked new gas and nuclear power plants in the state, further pivoting from the clean energy buildout Maryland needs. 

Maryland Needs to do “Moore” on Climate 

We need adaptive policy that will address the harms of today while preventing the harms of tomorrow. So many of Moore’s actions on climate are shortsighted and open communities up to harm, while benefiting polluters and corporations. 

However, it’s not too late to change course, especially as Maryland’s Renewable Energy Portfolio is up for reconsideration this year. With a better Renewable Energy Portfolio, Moore can require more renewable energy for Maryland, meaning cheaper power, less pollution, and more climate action. 

Whether he rises to the challenge is yet to be seen, but what we know is that Maryland needs climate action NOW!