Resident urges county to resist data centers, citing water and power strains

Amelia Juncker, a Lexington Park resident, told the Board of County Commissioners she opposed recruitment of data centers to Southern Maryland and urged the county to avoid following neighboring counties that have offered tax incentives. "With much of St. Mary's County focus on our agricultural history, our pride in our rural ways and waterways, and our ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure, I see the addition of data centers to this area as a detriment," Juncker said. Juncker cited news reports and county utility records she said show data centers put heavy demands on power and water. She referenced a Washington Post report saying the sector accounted for roughly 2 percent of U.S. electricity usage and said large data centers can consume millions of gallons of water daily; she also cited county court documents and a fine related to local sewage spills as evidence of existing utility challenges. Why it matters: speakers asked county leaders to weigh long-term utility capacity and environmental impacts before offering incentives such as sales-and-use tax exemptions that some counties use to attract data centers. No county decisions were taken during the public forum; Juncker asked commissioners to prioritize community and agricultural goals over data-center recruitment. Ending: The speaker asked that county leaders consider infrastructure limits and keep community character in mind when evaluating development incentives.