ENSP 400: Capstone in Environmental Science and Policy

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• Places to Search
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• Citation Management
• Resources from Project Scope
• Assignment & Questions to Answer

Resources from Project Scope:

Keep Massive Industrial Data Centers Away from Our National Parks

• Informational webpage published by the National Parks Conservation Association. Includes a downloadable Fact Sheet about data centers.

Frederick County, Md., Data Center Project Expansion Approved

• News article from Government Technology published on May 20, 2025.

Frederick County Council Takes Testimony On Data Centers Bill

• Transcript of radio broadcast from WFMD, providing an update on the July 15, 2025, public hearing in Frederick County.

Data Centers Workgroup, Frederick County, MD

• Information on the Data Centers workgroup, including membership, reports, and meeting minutes.

 Qualified Data Center Task Force, Prince George's County, MD

• Information on the Data Centers task force, including membership and meeting minutes.

Aligned Data Centers

• Informational page about proposed data center in Frederick County

Data center battle in Maryland gets early preview in rural county

• News article by the Bay Journal

Prince George’s County Council votes against data centers — for now

• News article by Maryland Matters

Background

Data centers are large complexes that house computer servers and data that power things like artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and social media. These centers have witnessed huge growth in the last few decades, with much of the growth occurring in the Washington DC Metro area. Virginia has more data centers than any other state (NPCA). Maryland has recently become a new area of data center interest and growth, in part spurred on by state leaders. 

Data centers consume large amounts of energy, water, and land, and can have impacts on air and water quality. There are also significant concerns about noise pollution and impacts on the quality of life of residents of nearby communities. 
Quantum Loophole is already in development in Frederick County with more buildings and projects in the works (Aligned Data Centers). Citizens are concerned and the Frederick County Council has set up a Work Group and local legislation has been proposed. In Prince George’s County, the County Council voted against a data center proposal in November 2024, but plans remain to boost data centers in the county. (Maryland Matters).  The county has also developed a task force to address data centers. These needs are heightened due to the secrecy with which the data center industry operates.

With concerns mounting about these projects, environmental advocates are in need of tools to assist them in understanding the data center development process and how best to shape or, if needed, challenge projects of concern. 

Questions to Answer

1. What are the specific impacts of data centers in Frederick and Prince George’s counties? 
2. What are the local, state, and federal laws that address the impacts of data center development in these counties? 
3. What avenues do communities in those counties have to get involved and what obstacles exist for public participation and community involvement? 
4. What are the processes for that involvement? 
5. What are some examples of instances where a community group in another area of the US either stopped or altered a data center project, and what lessons can be learned?