County council creates 20‑member data‑center task force, widens scope of study

The County Council of Prince George’s County on April 15 adopted CR 16‑20‑25, creating a 20‑member Qualified Data Center Task Force and directing the Planning Department to deliver a report with recommendations by Nov. 30, 2025. The motion to substitute the committee draft and move draft 1 passed on a recorded vote; the council later approved an amendment that broadened the study’s scope and increased membership to 20. Both votes carried unanimously on recorded roll calls.

Why it matters: the county has seen rapid interest in data‑center development and council members and public speakers raised concerns about effects on the electric grid, ratepayers, emissions, groundwater and neighborhood quality. The motion sets a deadline and specific study topics and names two electric‑provider seats to ensure utility input in the analysis.

The Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee recommended combining earlier related resolutions into CR 16 and delivered a revised draft to the full council. Council staff reported the task force will be staffed by the Planning Department and must file recommendations by Nov. 30, 2025. Council counsel and a sponsor described a package of amendments adopted on the floor that: (1) expanded the study’s required analyses to include impacts on local energy demand and county ratepayers, air/water/woodland quality and mitigation measures; (2) added quality‑of‑life measures such as viewscapes and open space impacts; (3) increased membership from 17 to 20; (4) specified one representative from Exelon and one from Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) among the utility seats; (5) added two representatives from the labor community and one representative from the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel; and (6) moved appointment authority to the council chair, with the two designated co‑chairs to be selected from the appointees.

Public commenters who had spoken earlier in the meeting appeared in the council record and urged a broad and representative study. Dan Smith, introducing himself as “Dan Smith from Chevrolet,” told the council to consider the long‑term technology strategy and distinguish different kinds of data centers from nascent technologies such as quantum computing: “We could become the hub. The Silicon Valley of quantum computing,” he said, while also warning of near‑term pressures on electricity and forested land from some hyperscale centers. Educator Teresa Mitchell Dudley urged inclusion of Prince George’s County Public Schools and labor on the task force so the county’s career and technical programs would be part of any workforce planning; teacher Michelle Clark described classroom staffing shortages and said representatives of schools should be part of planning conversations. Another commenter, Greg Smith, recommended adding environmental, public‑health and ratepayer advocates and specifically urged representation from the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Council staff and the sponsor said those kinds of additions were reflected in the adopted amendments.

Council members debated whether the chair should appoint all members and whether two council‑appointed seats needed to be members of the council; the language adopted allows the chair to appoint members and designates the two council‑selected representatives as co‑chairs for the task force. The Planning Department will staff the group and prepare the report with recommendations back to the council by Nov. 30, 2025.

Action and next steps: the council substituted draft 2 for draft 1 and approved amendment 1 on the floor; recorded roll calls show the motions carried unanimously. The task force will proceed under the Planning Department and the council chair will appoint members, including named utility representatives and seats for labor and the Office of People’s Counsel. The council did not adopt any siting rules in this resolution; instead the task force will study siting criteria and recommend policies to the council.