Drive twenty minutes across the Potomac River this month and the rules for building a data center change completely.
The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to halt permits for data centers drawing 25 megawatts or more a month that don’t already have a building permit, Bisnow reported. The pause runs 18 months. The council paired it with a zoning text amendment that defines large data centers and prohibits the use anywhere in the county outright, a step beyond a timed pause.
“Nothing will happen until we answer all the questions our community deserves,” said Councilmember Evan Glass, the bill’s lead sponsor, citing open questions about Potomac River water use, utility bills and the effect on surrounding communities. County Executive Marc Elrich had already imposed a six-month executive-order freeze in June; the council’s action extends and hardens it…