Rep. April McClain Delaney says, “We need less talk and more action—and the courage to stand for something.”
I agree
So here’s the action we need: standing up for the communities from Adamstown to Darnestown who are being asked to absorb industrial-scale data center buildouts with minimal guardrails.
Because right now, the “action” looks like industrial land conversion, grid strain that raises rates, massive water consumption, countless diesel generators with limited oversight, minimal long-term job creation, and tax incentives that shrink the public return.
That’s not bold economic reform. That’s capitulating to corporations to devastate our communities in exchange for something that’s not producing a tangible benefit.
So let’s walk through the facts.
Land Use: Permanent Industrialization
A single data center campus can occupy 100–300+ acres, often with additional acreage for substations and transmission corridors. Once farmland and open space are converted, they are not restored and the communities lose out.
We’ve chosen Maryland’s 6th District for the unique character of our communities, not for industrial server warehouses.
Electricity Demand: The Grid Impact Is Real
Data centers accounted for roughly 4–5% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2022, and projections from the International Energy Agency estimate that AI expansion could double global data center electricity demand by 2026.
Virginia’s experience shows us what can happen without regulation:
- Dominion Energy has cited data center growth as a major driver of new transmission and generation investments.
- Ratepayer advocates in Virginia have raised concerns that residential customers ultimately bear part of the infrastructure expansion costs.
Maryland families are already struggling with utility rates. We don’t need to shoulder the burden of corporate greed.
Water: Millions of Gallons, Especially in Peak Heat
Large data centers can consume hundreds of thousands to over a million gallons of water per day, with usage spiking significantly higher during peak summer heat depending on cooling systems. Public disclosures from major operators show that some individual facilities reach into the millions of gallons per day under certain conditions.
In a state facing hotter summers and infrastructure strain, that scale of industrial water demand is not environmentally neutral.
Diesel Generators: No Fossil Fuel Backups
A single large data center campus can deploy 40–100+ diesel backup generators, each capable of producing several megawatts of power. According to EPA data, these units emit nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and volatile organic compounds. These pollutants have been shown to cause respiratory and cardiovascular harm.
Although labeled “backup,” these generators are legally allowed to run for testing and maintenance, and in high-density regions those cycles create measurable pollution spikes comparable to small power plants.
Jobs: The Promise vs. The Reality
Data centers can create significant union jobs during buildout, but permanent employment numbers are modest relative to footprint.
Studies of operational staffing show that large facilities may only employ 30–100 full-time workers per site once operational. Job density per acre is far lower than advanced manufacturing or mixed-use commercial development.
We should pursue economic development that creates durable, middle-class employment and not just temporary construction booms followed by skeletal staffing.
Tax Revenue: What’s the Net?
Many states, including Maryland, offer sales tax exemptions and property tax incentives to attract data center investment.
A 2022 Joint Legislative Audit in multiple states (including reviews in Virginia and Illinois) found that long-term fiscal benefits are often overstated when incentives and infrastructure costs are factored in.
My Standard Is Higher Than “Better Oversight”
We are constantly told we must change light bulbs, drive less, and reduce our carbon footprint. Meanwhile, we’re being asked to accept industrial campuses powered by diesel combustion engines the size of locomotives. So, if Big Tech wants to lecture families about energy efficiency, climate responsibility, and carbon footprints, then it can meet a real standard and not a negotiated one.
If a data center wants to operate in Maryland, here’s the bar:
100% renewable energy tied to new, in-state generation. Data centers must run on 100% renewable energy sourced from new generation built in Maryland. not paper credits purchased from another region. If a facility increases demand, it must add equivalent clean capacity to our grid, not reshuffle existing supply. Growth should expand Maryland’s renewable infrastructure, not compete with families for it.
Full cost recovery for grid upgrades. If a data center’s energy demand requires new transmission lines, substations, or grid expansion, the developer pays the full cost. Working families should not subsidize billion-dollar corporations’ infrastructure needs. Economic development must lower costs for residents, not raise them.
No diesel generators. Period. No on-site fossil fuel backup power. Not capped. Not “limited.” Eliminated. If you can build multi-billion-dollar AI infrastructure, you can invest in battery storage, grid-scale backup, and on-site renewables. The technology exists. If we’re the innovation economy, act like it.
Binding water use limits with public reporting. Water use must be capped in enforceable permits, not left to corporate projections. Every facility should face hard daily and annual limits, automatic reductions during drought conditions, and mandatory monthly public reporting of actual consumption. If a data center cannot operate within clear water boundaries that protect farms, wells, and households, it does not belong here.
Local zoning authority remains local. County and municipal governments must retain final authority over data center approvals, no state-level overrides that silence communities. Communities deserve binding public hearings and cumulative impact reviews before industrial-scale development reshapes their land. If a project truly benefits residents, it should withstand local scrutiny.
If they can’t meet those standards, that tells you everything you need to know and they don’t belong in our rural and suburban communities.
To be clear, this isn’t anti-technology. We all use the internet. We all depend on cloud services. I understand digital infrastructure and the need for it in a modern society, but innovation without accountability isn’t progress.
When Rep. McClain Delaney says we need courage to stand for something, I’m standing for the people who actually live here in our communities.
Maryland’s 6th District deserves smart growth and not unchecked industrial sprawl wrapped in the language of “opportunity.”
This means less talk, real guardrails, and real accountability.
That’s action.
Maryland’s 6th Congressional District covers all of Garrett, Allegany, Frederick, and Washington counties, plus portions of Montgomery County.
