The Baltimore City Council on Monday night 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, is not a permanent ban, rather it pauses data center construction while the issue is examined further.
Cohen’s bill also mandates a nine-month study to determine the impact of any new data center on the city’s energy infrastructure, ratepayers, the economy, and environmental and public health. The bill now goes to Mayor Brandon M. Scott for signing.
Last month, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Utility RELIEF Act, which was backed by Gov. Wes Moore. One of the act’s many provisions forces data centers to pay a special tariff for their electric system demands. The bill also, however, offered perks for new data centers that offered zero-emissions energy.
“Dirty, costly data centers are unwelcome in Maryland,” said Jomar Lloyd, an organizer with Food & Water Watch Maryland, in a statement. “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.”
Food & Water Watch released a report in March 2026 detailing the harms of the exponential growth of data centers in communities around the country. In October 2026, they called for a data center moratorium, and more than 250 organizations have joined them since. The primary environmental concern centers on the draining of water resources needed to use AI and the massive amount of energy needed to maintain data centers.
Baltimore City is not the only Maryland jurisdiction looking at legislative steps to restricting the construction of data centers. Just last week, Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly proposed a permanent ban, and Baltimore County Council member Pat Young also proposed a freeze.
