Hyperscale AI data centers have become one of society’s most pressing concerns, and for good reason. Built to power the generative artificial intelligence boom and cryptocurrency frenzy, these industrial developments can use as much energy as some cities and consume millions of gallons of fresh water daily. They also threaten to infiltrate our agricultural lands and residential communities.
People see the potential harms of data centers clearly, and as such, 7 in 10 Americans oppose building data centers for artificial intelligence.
In response to fierce grassroots opposition and growing public sentiment, local and county governments have been springing to action to protect Marylanders from this Big Tech invasion. Baltimore City passed a six-month moratorium in May, Harford County passed an indefinite ban in June, and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties both passed moratoriums in July. In total, at least seven of Maryland’s 23 counties have taken action to pause data center development. But what are state lawmakers doing?
While the General Assembly successfully overrode Gov. Wes Moore’s veto of a data center study bill in December 2025, they didn’t do anything this year to regulate the industry or protect residents. As it stands, Maryland law gives no guidance on water use, grid infrastructure updates or public engagement opportunities for data centers. Communities lacking moratoriums are left to fend for themselves without the necessary time and resources to appropriately prepare.
A recent report from Food & Water Watch exposes the depth of the hyperscale AI data center expansion problem. By 2028, data centers are projected to use as much energy as 55 million households and as much water as 18 million households. The threat of even higher electricity bills is particularly potent in Maryland, where residential customers have seen a 44% increase in residential rates between 2020 and 2025. Elected officials have even sounded the alarm on rising electricity bills and potential grid blackouts as a direct result of data center development. And that’s to say nothing of other hyperscale AI data center issues including heat, noise pollution, e-waste and more.
The reality is that hyperscale AI data centers are being developed for some of the wealthiest corporations in the world for private gain while threatening our resources. Look at Atmosphere Data Centers, the company behind a proposed 360-megawatt hyperscale data center in Dickerson, co-located with an old coal power generation station that will be powered in part by polluting fossil fuels. The facility would draw water from the drought-stricken Potomac River — the nation’s most endangered river — which supplies 75% of drinking water to the region. Absent a comprehensive study and strong policy recommendations, our leaders remain in the dark about the full impacts of this development and are not equipped to know how to properly regulate these behemoths while protecting our resources for the future.
Hyperscale AI data centers are nothing more than massive industrial facilities meant to get Big Tech rich off our resources while we grapple with the consequences. This bottom line cannot be changed by misguiding community benefit agreements or voluntary pledges. The only way to protect our state is by pumping the brakes and halting this consequentially dangerous development.
The public has spoken, and they don’t want data centers. State lawmakers can show that the domination of hyperscale AI data centers over our communities is not an inevitability. Residents have been mobilizing in increasing numbers at the local level — it’s time to take that power to the statehouse. It’s time our lawmakers heed the call to protect Marylanders by passing a statewide AI data center moratorium now.
Jorge Aguilar is the southern regional director for Food & Water Watch. Dave Arndt is the co-chair of the Maryland Legislative Coalition — Climate Justice Wing.
