Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Harford County Council schedules hearing on proposed data-center moratorium amid broad public opposition
Summary
Councilmember Bennett introduced an emergency ordinance to impose a temporary moratorium on new data-center site approvals and permits; a public hearing is set for May 19, 2026. Dozens of resident commenters urged a ban, citing water use, power demand and community impacts.
Councilmember Bennett introduced an emergency ordinance (Bill 26-00005) to establish a temporary moratorium on approval of site plans and issuance of building permits and certificates of occupancy for data centers in Harford County, and the council scheduled a public hearing for May 19, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the East Council chambers.
The measure drew extensive attention during the public-comment period, where multiple residents described environmental and community risks…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
