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Commission flags energy and water questions after notice of possible data-center proposal
Summary
Planning staff reported a potential data-center proposal off Allendale Lane and said the city code does not explicitly address data centers; commissioners flagged energy and water demands as the primary planning concerns.
Planning staff told the Taneytown Planning Commission that a developer has indicated interest in a data center off Allendale Lane and that the city's zoning code does not explicitly address data centers.
Staff said the primary questions for any data-center proposal will be energy and water demand: commissioners asked whether cooling would rely on recycled water, cooling towers, or large freshwater withdrawals. Planning staff cautioned that data centers can require large amounts of electricity and, in some cases, substantial freshwater for cooling, and said the commission should scrutinize both water and power when concept plans arrive.
A presubmittal meeting is scheduled with the applicant; staff said a concept plan may arrive within the next few months. No formal application has been submitted and no decision has been made; staff said they will brief the commission when a concept plan is available.
Commissioners did not take action tonight; they asked staff to report back with details on projected energy and water usage when a formal concept is presented.
