The Harford County Council on Tuesday night voted unanimously to approve an amendment to consider County Executive Bob Cassilly’s bill banning data centers (Bill No. 26-011) emergency legislation.
This means an earlier bill (Bill No. 26-005) that would have imposed a 180-day moratorium on approvals for data centers was withdrawn.
On May 8, Cassilly submitted legislation to permanently ban data centers in Harford County in response to the council considering a bill to place a 180-day moratorium on data centers. Those in favor of the moratorium had planned to use the time to suggest zoning classifications and guardrails around data centers to be proposed in the future.
“Over the last year, my administration has been approached by parties interested in bringing data centers to Harford County,” Cassilly said at the time. “We have carefully researched the impacts these facilities have had on communities across the country, and it is clear that Data Centers are not appropriate for Harford County.”
Concerned that a moratorium might leave room for data centers to find a way to be established in Harford County, Cassilly reiterated the damaging impact they have on the communities that surround them. His worries include massive energy consumption, the pressure on infrastructure, environmental impacts, noise, water usage, and incompatibility with Harford County’s quality of life. Maryland’s green energy policies have already made it difficult to produce in-state energy, and Cassilly is concerned data centers would make it even harder.
At the May 19 hearing, the county held its scheduled public hearing on the moratorium bill, and residents who opposed allowing data centers showed up wearing green, holding signs, and ready to testify. Multiple people spoke in support of Cassilly’s bill banning the data centers, citing many of the concerns that the county executive and members of the council expressed.
Others spoke out against it, preferring to have a moratorium during which legislators establish guidelines and parameters to allowing them. Bill Vasilakopoulos owns Mountain Branch Golf Course and has plans to allow a data center to be built on his property.
“As the target of this legislation, I think it appropriate for me to have more than 3 minutes, certainly more than two minutes to explain my case,” Vasilakopoulos said at the start of his comments. Other speakers also opposed an outright ban, citing potential for jobs, inevitability of the need for data centers, and likelihood environmental impacts can be reduced.
After all who attended had the chance to voice their concerns, the council took a vote later in the meeting and unanimously decided to make Cassilly’s bill emergency legislation. There will be a public hearing on Bill No. 26-011 on June 9, 2026. If the Harford County Council approves it as amended, it will be sent to Cassilly for his signature. If signed, the ban becomes effective immediately.
