Maryland local moratoria

Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for Maryland, current through September 23, 2026.

24 instruments — 17 in force, 5 pending, 2 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 13 actions (13 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Anne Arundel County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: As amended 2026-09-21 (unanimous omnibus amendment converting Bill 63-26 from an outright ban to a moratorium): reported as a 15-month moratorium expiring January 31, 2028; final legislative disposition still pending as of 2026-09-23
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-anne-arundel-county-undated
• Legal basis: Bill No. 63-26 ('Zoning - Data Storage Center'), introduced by Council Member Nathan Volke (intro. 2026-07-20); amended 2026-09-21 by an omnibus amendment from Council Member Julie Hummer (at the request of County Executive Steuart Pittman) converting the bill from an outright ban to a temporary moratorium plus a data-center work-group study process
• What prompted it: Originally proposed as an outright countywide data center ban; converted to a temporary moratorium after pushback from advocates for Fort George G. Meade-adjacent defense/cybersecurity interests and for Microsoft's ongoing Annapolis Junction Business Park data center campus.
• Affected projects: Would not affect existing or under-construction data centers, including Microsoft's Annapolis Junction Business Park campus (purchased 2020)
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23. A third source (GovTech, syndicating a Capital Gazette report) resolves the apparent conflict between the Baltimore Banner and the county's own tracker: the council's Sept. 21, 2026 vote was to adopt the omnibus amendment converting Bill 63-26 from a ban to a 15-month moratorium (unanimous), not final passage of the bill itself. Final passage is scheduled for the next reading on Oct. 5, 2026, matching the county's own tracker. Existing and under-construction data centers, including Microsoft's Annapolis Junction campus, would be exempt under the amended bill.
• Outcome: If finally adopted, would establish an 11-member work group (7 appointed one-per-Council-member, 4 by the County Executive) to study data center best practices in other jurisdictions and recommend permanent regulation before the moratorium's expiration.

Baltimore City

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-11 (Bill 26-0158 passed by City Council and sent to the Mayor for signature, per newsletter reporting)
• Normalized date: 2026-05-11 (exact)
• Duration: Remains in effect for one year following its effective date (2026-07-16, i.e., 30 days after the 2026-06-16 signing), automatically abrogated on 2027-07-16 with no further Council action required. A companion Department of Planning data-center impact study/report is due to the Mayor, Council, and Planning Commission no later than 9 months after enactment.
• Current end date: 2027-07-16
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-baltimore-city-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-128 (enacted Council Bill 26-0158), certified as passed by the Council President 2026-05-11, delivered to the Mayor 2026-05-13, and signed/approved by Mayor Brandon Scott on 2026-06-16; takes effect 30 days after enactment.
• What prompted it: Not detailed in the available source beyond general data-center development concerns.
• Affected projects: Data centers using 10 MW or more of power.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Mayor Brandon Scott signed the bill into law (Ordinance 26-128) on 2026-06-16; it took effect 2026-07-16 and blocks construction of new data centers projected to use 10 MW or more of electricity annually through 2027-07-16. It does not affect a sub-10-MW expansion of the existing Johns Hopkins University data center at its Bayview campus. A separate, non-moratorium bill (Council Bill 26-0174, sponsored by Councilmember Phylicia Porter) proposing a conditional-use pathway with a health-equity assessment for future data centers remains under Planning Commission review as of September 2026 and had not been adopted.
• Outcome: Signed into law as Ordinance 26-128 on 2026-06-16 (effective 2026-07-16 through 2027-07-16). The Department of Planning's required impact study is due within 9 months of enactment. Separately, Councilmember Porter's Council Bill 26-0174, which would create a conditional-use approval pathway for future data centers, has drawn public opposition and remained under Planning Commission review (a contentious hearing was held) as of September 2026, without final Council action.

Baltimore County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-02-02 council enactment; applies retroactively to 2026-01-05 introduction
• Normalized date: 2026-02-02 (exact)
• Duration: Until 2027-12-31, per Council Bill 79-26 (final reading and unanimous vote 2026-09-22), which repealed and re-enacted Section 2 of Bill 3-26 to extend the suspension from its original 'earlier of 2027-01-01 or 90 days after the Planning Board's report' endpoint to a flat 2027-12-31.
• Current end date: 2027-12-31
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-baltimore-county-2026
• Legal basis: Bill 3-26 (Zoning Regulations - Data Center Study), as extended by Bill 79-26 (Data Centers - Extension of Temporary Controls Enacted Under Bill 3-26), introduced 2026-08-03 and adopted unanimously on final reading 2026-09-22, taking effect 14 days after enactment per its own terms.
• What prompted it: County concern that Bill 54-24 had opened broad zoning pathways before the county had studied electricity demand, public water demand, siting, notice, public health, environmental, and incentive issues
• Affected projects: Countywide suspension on accepting or approving development plans, zoning petitions, permits, and other approvals for data centers
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; extended through 2027-12-31 by Bill 79-26, passed unanimously by the County Council on 2026-09-22. The Planning Board approved its final Data Center Study Report on 2026-09-17 (following a contentious 2026-09-03 public hearing); Council Chairman Mike Ertel said the Council had received the report but had not yet reviewed it as of the extension vote.
• Outcome: The Planning Board approved its 51-page Data Center Study Report on 2026-09-17, ahead of its 2026-10-01 deadline, after a standing-room-only public hearing on 2026-09-03. Rather than let the original moratorium lapse on 2027-01-01, the County Council unanimously passed Bill 79-26 on 2026-09-22, extending the suspension on data center permitting/approvals through 2027-12-31 to give the Council time to review the report and draft permanent regulations.

Calvert County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-18 (Board of County Commissioners public hearing and unanimous adoption)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-18 (exact)
• Duration: Six months from the effective date (2026-08-28) to 2027-02-28, per Title 4 of the Land Use Article of the Maryland Annotated Code
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-calvert-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 42-26, adding a temporary Calvert County Code Chapter 145, 'Temporary Moratorium on Data Center Site Plan Approvals'
• What prompted it: Amazon Web Services withdrew its 'Calvert Technology Center' site plan application (accepted for processing 2026-05-27, withdrawn as announced 2026-08-04) amid sustained community opposition to a proposed seven-facility data center campus near the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Lusby; three incumbent commissioners who had previously opposed a moratorium were ousted in the June 2026 Republican primary.
• Affected projects: Countywide suspension on data center site plan approvals; catalyzed by (but not limited to) the withdrawn AWS 'Calvert Technology Center' application
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Effective 2026-08-28 through 2027-02-28 (or earlier if the Board terminates it by resolution upon finding conditions satisfied). No site plan applications for data center development are being accepted, and no grading/building/other permits dependent on site plan approval may issue, during the moratorium period.
• Outcome: The Board of County Commissioners is expected to discuss potential Calvert County Zoning Ordinance amendments addressing data centers as a permitted use at a future meeting; the ordinance automatically self-repeals ('sunset') upon expiration of the moratorium period.

Caroline County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: June 13, 2023 (Resolution #2023-011)
• Normalized date: 2023-06-13 (exact)
• Duration: Originally one year; extended by Resolution #2024-012 (through Mar. 31, 2025) and Resolution #2025-008 (through Mar. 31, 2026)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: md-caroline-county-2023
• Legal basis: Resolution #2023-011 (original), extended by Resolution #2024-012 and Resolution #2025-008 (adopted 2025-02-11, through 2026-03-31)
• What prompted it: Time needed for careful study of proposed BESS legislative changes and local siting standards
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Expired 2026-03-31 (last confirmed extension); Caroline County's Battery Energy Storage System moratorium, originally adopted June 13, 2023 and twice extended, lapsed on its stated end date with no further extension confirmed. A separate BESS text-amendment/ordinance package (referenced as Bill 2025-012 in Maryland General Assembly county-legislation filings) was in process around the same time, which may indicate the moratorium was followed by permanent regulation, but the filed document could not be read (unreadable scanned PDF) in the time available. [VERIFY details not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Term lapsed; possible replacement by permanent ordinance unconfirmed

Caroline County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-21 (County Commissioners' adoption of Resolution #2026-012)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: One year from adoption (2026-07-21) to 2027-07-21; applies only to unincorporated areas of the county
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-caroline-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution #2026-012, 'Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers'
• What prompted it: Community concern following a data center proposal in nearby Federalsburg; Commissioners sought time to study electricity/water demand impacts and craft siting, notice, and permitting regulations before any local application arrived.
• Affected projects: New and pending data center applications in unincorporated Caroline County only; does not apply within incorporated municipalities such as Federalsburg
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Suspends acceptance, processing, review, and approval of applications, permits, and BZA/zoning-text-amendment requests for data centers in unincorporated Caroline County through 2027-07-21. The Department of Planning and Codes must submit a report and recommendations to the Commissioners no later than 2027-04-01.
• Outcome: Passed the same week a data center was publicly proposed in the incorporated town of Federalsburg, which is outside the county's zoning jurisdiction and adopted (and later replaced) its own separate local moratorium.

Carroll County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-02-19 (effective date of Ordinance 2026-02)
• Normalized date: 2026-02-19 (exact)
• Duration: One year from the effective date (2026-02-19) to 2027-02-19
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-carroll-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026-02, codified at Carroll County Code Section 158.176 ('Data Processing Centers; Temporary Deferral')
• What prompted it: Board of Commissioners voted (2026-01-16 draft-ordinance instruction) to preemptively study and regulate data centers even though no developer had yet applied for a permit in the county.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Bars the county from accepting, processing, reviewing, or approving any plan for a data processing center (as defined in Section 158.002) for one year from the 2026-02-19 effective date, absent extension or repeal by the Board of Commissioners.
• Outcome: The county has not yet adopted a permitted-use table entry, district list, or dimensional standard for data processing centers separate from this deferral, which functions as a placeholder while the Commissioners work out permanent siting rules.

Dorchester County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-04 (County Council adoption of Resolution No. 712)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-04 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months, effective the day of adoption (2026-08-04) to 2027-08-04
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-dorchester-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 712, 'A Resolution of the County Council of Dorchester County, Maryland to Adopt a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers in Dorchester County for a Period of 12 Months'
• What prompted it: Council sought time to study data centers and craft a regulatory framework proactively, before any local application arrived; applies to unincorporated areas, while municipalities such as Hurlock have pursued their own separate measures.
• Affected projects: Applies only to unincorporated areas of Dorchester County
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Took effect the day of adoption (2026-08-04). County staff are tasked with returning initial findings and recommendations in spring 2027, and a stakeholder committee (citizens and industry professionals) is being formed to contribute to the process.
• Outcome: The county also engaged a lobbying firm (R&R Solutions) around the same time to help secure state funding and facilitate meetings on infrastructure priorities, including data-center-related issues.

Federalsburg

• Type: Town
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2026-08-03 (Town Council adoption of a three-year moratorium); superseded 2026-09-09 by Ordinance 2026-07, a permanent ban
• Normalized date: 2026-08-03 (exact)
• Duration: Originally three years from adoption (2026-08-03 to 2029-08-03); superseded before its term by Ordinance 2026-07 (a permanent ban), passed 4-0 on 2026-09-09
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-federalsburg-2026
• Legal basis: Original three-year moratorium: Town Council motion (specific resolution/ordinance number not found in sources reviewed), approved 2026-08-03. Superseding instrument: Ordinance 2026-07 (permanent ban on data centers in all zoning districts), adopted 4-0 on 2026-09-09.
• What prompted it: A proposed ~200-acre 'Fieldstone Technology Center' data center campus on Wright Road, put forward by developer Wright Road LLC, drew sustained and heated public opposition beginning July 2026, including a resident petition that reached over 2,300-25,000 signatures across related county/town petitions.
• Affected projects: Wright Road LLC's proposed Fieldstone Technology Center data center campus (~200 acres on Wright Road, east side of town)
• Detailed status: Replaced as of 2026-09-09. The original three-year moratorium (adopted 2026-08-03, unanimous) was superseded by Ordinance 2026-07, passed 4-0 on 2026-09-09 (Mayor Kim Abner absent), permanently banning data centers in every zoning district within Federalsburg town limits, over the Planning and Zoning Commission's 3-2 recommendation against the ordinance as drafted.
• Outcome: Federalsburg became the first Eastern Shore jurisdiction, and the second Maryland jurisdiction after Harford County, to permanently ban data centers. The Town Council is separately considering an ordinance to place a data-center ballot question before voters in the 2026 general election.

Frederick County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-07-01 (County Executive-announced pause via executive order(s), specific numbers not stated in the civic alert)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-01 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2027-07-01 (or until superseded/terminated earlier), per Executive Order No. 05-2026, effective 2026-09-14, which explicitly supersedes and extends the original Executive Order 04-2026 (which had run through 2026-12-31).
• Current end date: 2027-07-01
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-frederick-county-2026
• Legal basis: Executive Order No. 05-2026 (effective 2026-09-14, signed by County Executive Jessica Fitzwater), which supersedes and extends Executive Order 04-2026 (effective 2026-07-01, following the Maryland Supreme Court's ruling that the Adamstown-area zoning referendum could not appear on the fall 2026 ballot). EO 05-2026 was issued the same day the County Executive formally rejected a proposed $110 million Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement with Catellus for the 'Frederick Digital Campus' in Adamstown.
• What prompted it: Litigation/referendum uncertainty over the County's existing data-center zoning restriction, plus a pending state-level impact report.
• Affected projects: New applications for Critical Digital Infrastructure facilities or associated substations.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; extended by Executive Order No. 05-2026, effective 2026-09-14, through 2027-07-01. County Planning and Permitting staff continue to be directed not to accept, consider, process, or review any applications for Critical Digital Infrastructure Facilities or associated electric substations (with the pre-existing carve-out for properties with an approved Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Letter of Understanding prior to 2025-06-17).
• Outcome: Pause intended to allow community engagement and to await the State's forthcoming data-center impact report before further zoning action.

Howard County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-01 (County Council passage, as amended); signed by County Executive 2026-06-04; effective 2026-08-04
• Normalized date: 2026-06-01 (exact)
• Duration: Ends at the earliest specified policy milestone or 2027-11-02
• Current end date: 2027-11-02
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-howard-county-2026
• Legal basis: CB31-2026 (the S.M.A.R.T. Siting Act)
• What prompted it: Task force to study data center siting, a zoning definition, and recommendations; a public hearing and report are required within 12 months
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. CB31-2026 took effect 2026-08-04 as scheduled; Howard County Planning and Zoning has since been barred from accepting, reviewing, approving, or advancing new data-processing-center development plans through 2027-11-02 (absent earlier permanent zoning legislation). The County Executive is to appoint the 11-member SMART Data Center Task Force (with union, utility, water, environmental, and data-center-industry representation) by executive order following a public application process; the task force must hold a public hearing before completing its work.
• Outcome: County Council passed CB31-2026 as amended on 2026-06-01; County Executive Calvin Ball signed it 2026-06-04; it took effect 2026-08-04 and, unless superseded by earlier zoning legislation, remains in force through 2027-11-02.

Hurlock

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-10 (Town Council adoption, introduced by Council President Russell Murphy)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-10 (exact)
• Duration: Three years from adoption (2026-08-10) to 2029-08-10
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-hurlock-2026
• Legal basis: Town Council resolution/ordinance adopted at the 2026-08-10 council meeting (specific instrument number not found in sources reviewed)
• What prompted it: Desire to thoroughly study data centers' potential community impacts (capabilities/capacities, partnerships, critical-infrastructure implications) before deciding whether to permit them, informed in part by nearby Federalsburg's contemporaneous data-center dispute.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Three-year pause intended to allow the town to collect comprehensive, factual information on data centers' potential community impacts before making a decision for or against them; Mayor Earl Murphy has said the town will reserve the third year to decide how to proceed based on findings. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Among the longest municipal pauses identified on the Eastern Shore, matching Federalsburg's original three-year moratorium (which was itself superseded before its term by a permanent ban).

Montgomery County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-28 (Council press release date; Expedited Bill 19-26 and companion Zoning Text Amendment 26-01)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-28 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months from the bill's effective date (specific calendar end date not stated in the press release)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-montgomery-county-2026
• Legal basis: Expedited Bill 19-26 (Department of Permitting Services barred from issuing data center permits during the moratorium) paired with Zoning Text Amendment 26-01 (prohibits hyperscale data centers countywide and redefines 'data center').
• What prompted it: Council concern over unresolved zoning/permitting pathway for data centers following prior zoning changes; competing council proposals (6-month vs. 2-year) were reconciled into an 18-month compromise.
• Affected projects: Applications submitted before or after the bill's effective date, pending regulatory review, or approved without an issued building permit are subject to the moratorium.
• Detailed status: Active as of adoption 2026-07-28.
• Outcome: Council intends to use the 18-month period to develop comprehensive data-center development guidelines in coordination with state officials.

Pocomoke City

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Proposed at approximately one year, with the council able to modify or extend the period; not yet adopted
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-pocomoke-city-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed resolution/ordinance introduced at the 2026-09-08 Mayor and Council meeting; not yet adopted as of 2026-09-23
• What prompted it: Officials cited energy and water consumption concerns, echoing neighboring Worcester County's moratorium and its commissioners' stated grid- and irrigation-capacity concerns.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23. Introduced in session on 2026-09-08; the Mayor and Council are continuing to discuss the proposal before any adoption vote. Once adopted, it would bar the planning and zoning department from accepting or processing data center applications for the moratorium's duration, taking immediate effect. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Pocomoke City maintains its own board of zoning separate from Worcester County (in which it sits), prompting city officials to pursue a separate local measure rather than relying on the county's existing moratorium.

Prince George's County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-09-16 (CR-098-2025); 2026-01-23 (EO 1-2026, later administratively extended through 2026-06-30 per news reporting); 2026-07-07 (CR-066-2026, new 2-year Council resolution, adopted 7-1 with 3 abstaining/absent)
• Normalized date: 2025-09-16 (exact)
• Duration: CR-098-2025: 180 days or until comprehensive legislation; EO 1-2026: temporary hold from 2025-12-31 through 2026-04-30
• Current end date: 2028-07-07
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-prince-george-s-county-2025
• Legal basis: CR-098-2025; Executive Order 1-2026; underlying task force created by CR-016-2025
• What prompted it: Community concerns and task force review of energy demand, ratepayer impacts, air, water, woodland, quality-of-life, revenue, and siting issues
• Affected projects: Preliminary plans of subdivision that include qualified data centers; executive hold on accepting, considering, and processing qualified data center permit applications
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; unchanged since CR-066-2026 (adopted 2026-07-07, effective through 2028-07-07 or until comprehensive data-center zoning legislation, whichever is earlier). Councilmember Wanika Fisher has introduced separate legislation that would establish siting/setback standards for data centers and could create a pathway to lift the moratorium early, but Council Chair Krystal Oriadha has publicly opposed lifting it and the measure had not advanced as of this reference date. Separately, on 2026-09-17 (outside my packet's row scope) the Council's Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee unanimously advanced a different bill to reinstate detailed site-plan review for data centers (repealing a 2021 exemption); sponsors stated this bill would not affect or lift the existing moratorium and is intended to close a gap for projects that predate it (e.g., the Landover Mall proposal). Neither measure had received final Council passage as of 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: As of 2026-07-31, no comprehensive data-center zoning ordinance has been enacted. Instead, the Council extended the temporary pause via CR-066-2026 (2026-07-07, two years). A competing zoning proposal by Councilmember Wanika Fisher to permit data centers in specified rural/agricultural/residential zones (with site-plan review for campuses under 200 acres) was introduced around 2026-07-21 and was pending before the Planning Board as of that date; it had not passed as of 2026-07-31.

Proposed or Rejected Local Pauses

• Type: Aggregate meta-row
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: —
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: general
• Moratorium ID: md-proposed-or-rejected-local-pauses-undated
• Legal basis: —
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: —
• Outcome: —

Queen Anne's County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-04 (County Commissioners approval)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-04 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption (2026-06-04) to 2027-06-04
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-queen-anne-s-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 26-07
• What prompted it: Existing zoning and regulatory framework found insufficient to address the scale, impacts, and operational characteristics of contemporary data center development.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Effective immediately upon adoption; bars the Department of Planning and Zoning and every other county department, agency, board, or commission from accepting, processing, or approving any application, permit, or submittal for a data center for 12 months, extendable by the Commissioners.
• Outcome: Not intended to permanently prohibit data center development; the County is using the period to conduct studies, engage residents/stakeholders, and consider Zoning Ordinance updates.

Ridgely

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: August 2026 (exact date not confirmed)
• Normalized date: 2026-08 (month_only)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-ridgely-2026
• Legal basis: Town Commission ordinance (one-year data center moratorium); ordinance number not confirmed
• What prompted it: Part of an Eastern Shore wave of local action following a controversial Federalsburg data center proposal
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Town Commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers within town limits in August 2026, following the Federalsburg data center controversy and Caroline County's own July 21, 2026 county moratorium.
• Outcome: Adopted

Salisbury

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: 1 year (proposed)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-salisbury-undated
• Legal basis: —
• What prompted it: Planning Commission recommendation; mayor supports the pause
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; Planning Commission recommended a one-year moratorium on data center development on Aug. 14, 2026; City Council vote still pending as of the most recent source reviewed. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Recommended; council vote pending

Somerset County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: —
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: 1 year (proposed)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-somerset-county-undated
• Legal basis: —
• What prompted it: No data center currently proposed; county evaluating options to regulate ahead of one being proposed
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23; a one-year moratorium on data center siting was recommended to the County Commissioners; as of a July 2026 report the county was still 'looking at the options available' with no ordinance adopted. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Recommended; outcome not confirmed

Talbot County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-08 (County Council unanimous adoption of Resolution No. 395, after introduction 2026-08-11)
• Normalized date: 2026-09-08 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption (2026-09-08) to 2027-09-08; the Council reserves the right to extend for up to two additional six-month periods
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-talbot-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 395
• What prompted it: Council concern about sustainability, energy/water usage, noise, vibration, and quality-of-life impacts of data centers, and a desire to avoid hastily prepared zoning rules given the county's current lack of data-center-specific regulations.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Bars processing, review, and approval of applications, site plans, permits, and other authorizations (including zoning, occupancy, and building certificates/permits, and zoning text amendments) for data centers countywide for 12 months; applies to currently pending applications as well as those filed after the effective date.
• Outcome: Adopted unanimously following a public hearing at the Council's 2026-09-08 regular meeting; the County Council may extend the moratorium for up to two additional six-month periods if needed.

Washington County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-30 (Board of County Commissioners adoption and effectiveness)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-30 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-washington-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance ORD-2026-12
• What prompted it: Pause on accepting, processing, reviewing, or approving data center applications, plans, or requests while the county studies regulation
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active per signed ordinance and official index
• Outcome: Board of County Commissioners approved Ordinance ORD-2026-12, a 12-month moratorium

Wicomico County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-04 (County Council unanimous adoption of Resolution No. 125-2026, following a public hearing)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-04 (exact)
• Duration: One year from adoption (2026-08-04) to 2027-08-04, or until the effective date of comprehensive data center legislation, whichever is earlier
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-wicomico-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 125-2026
• What prompted it: Concerns over electric grid demand, water usage, noise, and light pollution; coincides with the county's ongoing comprehensive plan update and rezoning process.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Bars the Department of Planning, Zoning and Community Development from accepting, processing, reviewing, or approving preliminary plans of subdivision and detailed site plans proposing a data center use, and bars acceptance of related unclassified-use or zoning-text-amendment applications, through 2027-08-04 or until superseded by comprehensive legislation.
• Outcome: County officials say they have been advised that an outright ban could invite costly legal challenges, so the county is instead pursuing siting requirements, environmental regulations, and permitted zones for data centers during the moratorium period.

Worcester County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-21 (Worcester County Board of County Commissioners' formal adoption of Resolution No. 26-18, establishing the one-year moratorium on data centers and cable landing stations)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: One year, while staff develop definitions, permitted locations, and operating standards
• Current end date: 2027-07-21
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: md-worcester-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 26-18, adopted by the Worcester County Commissioners on 2026-07-21, imposing a temporary moratorium on the submittal and issuance of permits for data centers and cable landing stations for 12 months or until rescinded, and placing a temporary hold on related Board of Zoning Appeals proceedings.
• What prompted it: County study of zoning definitions, permitted locations, and operating standards for data centers and cable landing stations
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23, confirmed via the county's own press release and independent news coverage. Resolution No. 26-18 (adopted 2026-07-21) bars submittal, issuance, review, or approval of permits for data centers and cable landing stations countywide (both pending and future applications) through 2027-07-21 or until rescinded, and holds related Board of Zoning Appeals proceedings pending. The pause froze the county's disputed determination that a proposed Globalinx cable landing station near the Ocean City Municipal Airport is not a permitted public utility use in its C-2 zoning district; Globalinx's BZA appeal of that determination remains blocked from proceeding while the moratorium is in effect. As of September 2026, Amazon had separately pivoted away from the original cable-landing/data-center concept toward a smaller power-feed facility proposal, and the county held further public sessions on cable landing stations and data centers (including one scheduled 2026-10-06).
• Outcome: Board of County Commissioners formally adopted Resolution No. 26-18 on 2026-07-21, establishing the one-year moratorium; staff are directed to develop comprehensive zoning regulations governing the construction, location, and operation of data centers and cable landing stations, with legislation to be presented for public consideration once drafting is complete.

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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