Data Center Proposal Meets Pushback In Baltimore County

WOODLAWN, MD — Stakeholders weighed the costs and benefits of a proposed data center in western Baltimore County during a Wednesday meeting at Woodlawn High School.

Developers want to build the data center, a large warehouse for computer servers, in Woodlawn. It would be located at 1500 Woodlawn Drive, across from the Social Security Administration building and a few blocks from Security Square mall.

The 150-megawatt center would span 42 acres. It may include the purchase of a local Rodeway Inn and the donation of 5 acres of land to BGE to build a new electrical substation.

Construction could begin in June or July 2026.

Dave Arndt, co-chair of the Maryland Legislative Coalition Climate Justice Wing, said the center's electricity draw would be equivalent to that of about 120,000 homes, The Baltimore Sun reported.

County Council Member Izzy Patoka (D-Pikesville) called for "safeguards to ensure communities aren't left footing the bill for corporate energy demands."

"Baltimore County can't take another hit to our energy bills. Our families come before big tech," Patoka said on Facebook. "We also deserve respectful development that protects our water sources, wildlife and environment, not development that threatens our ecosystems and strains our infrastructure."

Neighbor Kevin Godfrey opposes the plan.

"I grew up in northern Virginia, and I've seen what they've done there, and it's not a very good thing. A question I have is the water usage it's going to take," Godfrey said, according to WMAR.

Data centers use large amounts of water to cool their servers. Hyperscale data centers can use up to 5 million gallons daily, The Sun reported, citing Mariah Davis, an environmental policy advocate with Nature Forward.

Del. Sheila Ruth (D-District 44B) said the center could create 1,000 temporary construction jobs and 100 permanent positions, according to The Sun.

"The good thing is we don't think that this is very far along, so it seems like there's opportunities to influence the process," Ruth said, according to WMAR.

The proposal is led by Security Land and Development Limited Partnership, but The Sun said the company declined an invitation to the meeting because it does not yet have an operator for the center. The Sun added that the developer has not submitted a formal plan to Baltimore County, nor has it applied for state environmental permits.

Baltimore County law only allows data centers east of Pulaski Highway and south of Liberty Road.

"There will be legislation introduced which may help address some statewide issues regarding these centers," State Sen. Charles E. Sydnor III (D-District 44) said on Facebook. "With regard to this specific proposal, our Baltimore County Council has work to do to ensure that our communities south of Liberty Road (and east of Pulaski Highway) are not the disproportionately burdened because of what current law provides under Council Bill 54-24."

Related: Data Center Proposed In Woodlawn, Residents Asked For Feedback