Montgomery County, Maryland adopts 18‑month data‑center moratorium amid local opposition

In Montvale, New Jersey, the borough’s affordable‑housing settlement with the S. Hekemian Group would allow a 322,822‑sq‑ft hyperscale data center to be built alongside new housing. Residents and environmental advocates warned that the project could raise utility rates, strain water supplies, generate noise and emit pollutants. “A data center has no place in Montvale, and no place directly adjacent to a housing development,” said Food & Water Watch volunteer Paula Rogovin.

Meanwhile, Montgomery County, Maryland, moved to curb similar development pressures. On July 22 the County’s Economic Development Committee backed an 18‑month moratorium on data‑center construction, and the Planning, Housing and Parks Committee advanced a zoning amendment barring facilities over 25 MW. The County Council unanimously approved the moratorium, with council member Will Jawando noting, “The testimony was very clear…you all wanted to see a meaningful moratorium.” Officials cited concerns that large data‑center projects, such as Atmosphere Data Centers’ proposed 360‑MW campus on former coal‑plant land, could intensify electricity demand, water use, noise and pollution.