Photo Courtesy of The Office of Governor Wes Moore
Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order this morning establishing a uniform statewide review process for large data center projects in Maryland. The order establishes a uniform review process for data centers requiring 25 megawatts of power or more when a project seeks State action, including a permit, incentive, letter of support, or other discretionary State action.
Under the new framework, covered projects will be evaluated based on transparency and accountability, environmental and ratepayer protections, impacts on the electric grid, community engagement, and anticipated economic benefits. The order also establishes the Maryland Data Center Task Force, composed of representatives from the Maryland Energy Administration and the Departments of Commerce, Labor, Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Planning.
The Task Force will review covered projects and issue public determinations indicating whether a proposal is aligned, conditionally aligned, or not aligned with the State’s framework. It will also maintain a public Data Center Dashboard identifying proposed projects, their locations and legislative districts, developer information, and requested state actions. The dashboard is expected to be updated monthly.
The executive order comes amid increased scrutiny of data center development across Maryland, particularly regarding energy demand, infrastructure costs, environmental impacts, and local land use. Several jurisdictions have adopted or considered temporary restrictions on new data center development while evaluating local policies and safeguards. The State’s new framework will operate alongside local approval processes while establishing standards projects must meet to receive state support.
The Governor also announced plans to work with the General Assembly during the 2027 legislative session to repeal Maryland’s 2020 sales and use tax exemption for qualifying data center equipment. The executive action builds on measures enacted earlier this year addressing the costs associated with large energy users and grid infrastructure.
Maryland data centers face new rules under Moore executive order
