Maryland will subject proposed data centers of 25 megawatts or more to a new state review process under an executive order signed by Gov. Wes Moore, adding a statewide screen for projects seeking permits, incentives or other support while leaving final land-use decisions with local governments.
The order creates a Maryland Data Center Accountability Task Force drawn from seven state agencies. The panel will evaluate large projects for ratepayer and grid protection, economic benefits, community support, environmental safeguards, and transparency. It will issue written findings that label a proposal aligned, conditionally aligned or not aligned with the state's principles.
According to the order summary, local governments retain authority to approve or reject projects. The task force instead controls the state's posture: projects judged out of alignment, or developers that decline review, can lose state advocacy and face slower consideration of state actions. Moore said the state would not override a community's refusal.
The administration also plans a public dashboard, updated monthly, listing proposed facilities, developers, legislative districts and requests for state action. WYPR reported that the dashboard is expected to include projected electricity and water demand and how developers plan to meet those needs. State employees are barred from entering nondisclosure agreements with data-center developers.
The policy arrives amid a rapid local backlash. Thirteen jurisdictions have adopted temporary moratoriums, while Harford County has approved a ban, according to WYPR. The growth of hyperscale facilities has intensified concern about power prices, transmission upgrades, water use and backup generation, even as state leaders seek investment tied to artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
The framework therefore divides responsibility between levels of government. Counties and municipalities continue to decide zoning and land use, while state agencies assess requests that depend on state authority or resources. A favorable task-force finding is not a local permit, and an unfavorable finding is not itself a statewide prohibition.
The threshold is significant because a 25-megawatt facility can qualify as a large new electrical load. A separate policy account says review begins when a covered developer seeks state action, requiring disclosure of permits, incentives or letters of support. That makes the framework a condition of state assistance rather than a statewide construction moratorium.
Moore also said he will ask the General Assembly in 2027 to repeal Maryland's 2020 sales-and-use-tax exemption for qualifying data-center equipment. Repeal would require legislation. The current incentive generally depends on minimum investment and job-creation thresholds, so its future will be debated separately from the executive order.
The order builds on the 2026 Utility RELIEF Act, which requires data centers to cover infrastructure costs associated with their load and established a voluntary clean-capacity pathway. The governor's official notice scheduled the signing for Sept. 23. The first practical test will come when the task force reviews a covered proposal and publishes the promised project-level information.
