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SMECO tells Calvert County data centers must pay to upgrade grid; residents demand pause
Summary
SMECO officials told the Calvert County Board that large data centers seeking to locate in southern Calvert County must cover transmission and distribution upgrade costs and that a large‑load tariff will be filed with the Public Service Commission; following the presentation hundreds of residents urged a moratorium and raised environmental, health and school‑safety concerns.
SMECO officials told the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on April 28 that any large data center seeking to locate in southern Calvert County must pay the full cost of the electric transmission and distribution upgrades required to serve it.
The utility’s senior external‑affairs executive, Tom Dennison, said SMECO will file a large‑load tariff with the Maryland Public Service Commission by Sept. 1 that, in SMECO’s view, should ensure new large customers cover direct upgrade costs rather than be subsidized by existing members. “Any data center seeking to build in southern Maryland must directly pay the full cost for all electric transmission and distribution system build out and ongoing operations and maintenance expense required to interconnect that center and…
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