Baltimore County planning board told to lead study of data centers, report due Oct. 2026
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Summary
County legislation adopted last week directs the Planning Board to produce a study on data centers and hold a public hearing; staff said the board will be briefed periodically and staff will assist with mapping, benchmarking and data collection.
A county bill adopted by the Baltimore County Council this week requires a study of data centers in Baltimore County and directs the Planning Board to issue a report by Oct. 2026, Planning Department staff told the board on Feb. 5.
Director Lafferty told the board the legislation explicitly assigns the Planning Board responsibility to conduct the study and to hold at least one public hearing. "At by October 2026, the board is to issue a report," Lafferty said, and staff suggested periodic briefings so members remain informed as research and mapping are compiled.
Lafferty and other staff said the study will include benchmarking and best-practice reviews from neighboring jurisdictions. "It's a requirement to look really, do some comparatives, look at best practices, do some benchmarking as to what other jurisdictions are doing on the permitting side, the zoning side," Lafferty said. Staff indicated they expect to collect permitting and zoning data and to provide mapping and analysis support to the board.
Board members pressed staff on the study's scope, asking specifically about electrical and water demand and where large facilities should be sited. Lafferty said the study will evaluate land-use implications such as siting, zoning restrictions and required infrastructure. "There are gonna be land use implications because where should these be placed? Are there certain zoning restrictions or certain size or those sort of factors will come into play," Lafferty said.
Staff recommended an internal interagency approach to the work because of its technical breadth and suggested periodic briefings to the board as material is assembled. The board did not take a formal vote on the study at the Feb. 5 meeting; staff said the board will be briefed as the administration defines the study's scope and methodology.
Next steps: staff will begin assembling comparative reports and technical mapping; the Planning Board will be briefed periodically and is expected to host a public hearing as part of its report process.