Gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox calls for Maryland ban on new mega data centers

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox is calling for a statewide ban on new mega data centers. 

Standing at a news conference near a massive data center development Wednesday in Adamstown, Maryland, Cox demanded the statewide ban as well as a moratorium on current development.

Cox was joined by residents who said the development in Frederick County has disrupted their community.  

"I mean, I want to stay local. I love the area. I love my kids to love the area, but it's just hard to be close to something like that" said Adamstown resident Jean Butler. 

Some residents also raised concerns about air pollution and water quality.  

"We noticed it smelled funny, it tasted funny…and we're drinking this, we're bathing in this…" said Casey, a local resident. 

Cox blames Gov. Wes Moore and Frederick County leaders for allowing "fast-tracked permits" for new data centers to move forward. 

"Immediately today, this governor, Gov. Moore could issue an executive order providing a moratorium on protecting the land, while we make sure that we pursue this process that protects all of our residents, and bans the data centers on Maryland soil," Cox said.  

But the Moore administration says the governor has imposed strict requirements on data centers — including making them pay for their own energy infrastructure.

It also points to Cox's own record. In 2020, the candidate co-sponsored legislation offering tax breaks for data centers. When asked about that during the press conference, Cox said the industry has changed.

"The data centers of seven years ago are not today's data centers. They never were, and we never knew that this was going to happen with the 20 super Walmart sized data centers…that's outrageous," Cox said.