Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today signed an Executive Order directing the Department of Permitting Services (DPS) to temporarily pause the acceptance, processing, and consideration of permit applications for new data centers. The order will take effect immediately and establishes a six-month moratorium intended to allow the County Council to finalize comprehensive legislative frameworks.
To read the Executive Order, please click here. Watch the press conference on the County’s YouTube channel.
The Executive Order addresses growing concerns regarding the unique infrastructure demands of data centers, including massive energy consumption, water use for cooling, and noise impacts on residential communities. This moratorium applies to any projects that have currently been proposed, including the potential data center at the site of the decommissioned power plant in Dickerson.
“Today, I am signing an Executive Order directing the Department of Permitting Services to temporarily pause the acceptance and processing of permit applications for new data centers in Montgomery County,” said County Executive Elrich. “What this order does is create time for Montgomery County to establish clear rules and expectations before applications begin moving through the permitting process. My approach is different from what Council Member Glass previously proposed, which exempted the Dickerson site and allowed it to proceed with the permitting process. We’ve seen too many examples in government where development outpaces policy. The responsible approach is to establish the rules, understand the impacts, and then make decisions within a clear framework.”
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The moratorium is scheduled to expire in six months. However, it could end sooner if the County Council adopts permanent Zoning Text Amendments governing data center use.
“The executive order reflects County Executive Elrich’s commitment to protecting residents from potential grid strain, brownouts, and environmental impacts while still welcoming responsible innovation,” said Council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe. “The moratorium does not mean we stop; it means we work harder to address water, noise, and other issues tied to data centers. I want to thank the residents of Dickerson and advocacy groups who have been willing to meet time and again about this issue.”
Councilmember Will Jawando joined the Executive in supporting the pause.
“Last month I introduced the only moratorium bill that covers the Dickerson project, and this week I asked the County Executive to go further and act now,” said Councilmember Jawando. “Communities across the country are facing the same choice we are: chase corporate promises of profits that may never come, or stand with your residents and get it right. I’m thankful to the County Executive for taking action. The Council’s job now is to lock in real protections: clean energy, no subsidies, union labor, and a safe watershed.”
Councilmember Kristin Mink emphasized that the pause is vital to protect sensitive areas like the Dickerson site. She has advocated for using this time to update the County Noise Ordinance and establish watershed protections.
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“There is a large data center that is in the permitting process for Montgomery County now,” said Councilmember Mink. “This Executive Order will address this project and all others, which is an important distinction. It is moments like this that we see teamwork between the community, the Council, and the County Executive. These large data centers have a broad reaching impact so all of us do need to be engaged on this issue.”
The County’s Climate Change Officer, Sarah Kogel-Smucker, joined the County Executive in leading a community forum on data centers in February.
“Data centers are critical to our digital economy, but they also consume large amounts of energy and water,” said County Climate Change Officer Sarah Kogel-Smucker. “Our goal is to shape data center development in Montgomery County to align with our climate goals and use best practices for clean energy and efficient cooling.”
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Read the original article at mcgov