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Hundreds testify as Montgomery County Council weighs moratoriums, zoning for large data centers
Summary
More than two dozen speakers urged a two-year moratorium on data center permitting while others — including developers, labor and the Chamber of Commerce — argued for regulation rather than pause. The hearing focused on environmental, water, energy and noise risks tied to proposed hyperscale projects including the Dickerson site.
The Montgomery County Council spent a large portion of its June 16 work session hearing public testimony on proposed moratoriums and zoning changes for data centers, with residents, environmental groups, unions and developers making sharply divergent arguments.
Supporters of a longer pause urged lawmakers to adopt Bill 24-26 (a two-year moratorium) or otherwise delay approvals until the council drafts binding zoning and operational standards. Karen Metches of the Montgomery County Climate Coalition told the council the public largely does not know data centers are coming and called a two-year moratorium “worth the wait” to settle energy, water and siting standards. “We need more time to work out the very tough details,” she said.
Multiple environmental and public-health witnesses warned of harms from continuous noise, water withdrawals and lifecycle pollution. Theodora Scarrato, director of an EMF program at Environmental Health Sciences, said she recorded electromagnetic field readings at other sites that she described as exceeding levels cited in studies linking EMF exposure to health effects, and urged a two-year pause until regulatory safeguards for EMF, PFAS and wastewater are in place.
Developers and business groups countered that moratoria would harm jobs and competitiveness and said the council’s zoning text amendment (ZTA 26‑01) and the county executive’s six‑month pause are the appropriate routes to regulate data centers. Jeff Farrell, a Terra Energy executive, described project protections the applicant has proposed in Dickerson, including forest-preservation easements and an energy plan the company intends to publish for public review. “We don’t come here to push back on those concerns,” he said, asking the council to let the ZTA process run its course.
Labor and some construction-trade speakers opposed a two-year ban, saying data center construction creates substantial hours for skilled trades. The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Angela Franco urged the council to adopt a clear regulatory framework so the county remains competitive for infrastructure that supports life sciences, cybersecurity and other industries.
Several witnesses proposed compromises: a moratorium tied to completing a ZTA and companion regulations, a moratorium that can be extended by council vote if work remains incomplete, or use of a binding community benefits negotiation during a pause. Energy experts at the hearing recommended four elements for any ‘100% clean’ commitment — carbon-free sources, additionality, hour‑by‑hour matching, and procurement within the regional grid — and warned against relying solely on renewable-energy credits.
The hearing did not include a council vote on either moratorium bill. Council members said they will take the testimony into committee deliberations; committee work sessions on the ZTA are scheduled to begin in July.
