Maryland county adopts 2-year moratorium on data centers

Prince George's County, Maryland has adopted a two-year moratorium on data center development, the longest pause in the state, to allow time for comprehensive zoning and siting legislation while shielding residents from rising utility costs driven by AI infrastructure buildout. The move follows similar moratoria in neighbouring counties and reflects nationwide pushback against data centers shifting energy costs to ordinary ratepayers. If you're building or financing a data center on the US East Coast, your siting timeline just extended by two years minimum across Maryland, and Virginia's corridor is now the only open play in the region until regulation catches up. This is the template: counties are freezing zoning whilst federal and state rules are written, so your next site approval depends on whether you're already grandfathered in.