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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Data Center Growth Meets Local Limits
Coverage from The Winchester Star, Nature Forward, and others
Counties in Maryland and Virginia are tightening oversight of data center proposals as residents and officials question their effects on water supplies, electricity costs, noise, air quality, wastewater systems, and nearby land.
Frederick County, Maryland, has frozen new development while it reviews costs and impacts, while Frederick County, Virginia, is considering removing data centers from permitted uses and reviewing large proposed campuses. The disputes reflect a broader tension between projected tax revenue and jobs and concerns that local communities may bear the costs of power, water, environmental controls, and expanded infrastructure.
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All Articles10 articles
Important
Frederick County Board of Supervisors in Virginia voted to begin drafting a zoning amendment that would remove data centers as permitted uses in all districts.
7/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Frederick County, Maryland, faces ongoing litigation after a referendum over the Quantum Frederick data center zoning overlay following diesel-generator permitting and environmental enforcement actions.
6/26/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Frederick County Maryland residents, led by Steve Black, pursue a November referendum to veto data center zoning expansion on the Eastalco Alcoa Works brownfield amid water and diesel generator concerns.
6/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In Frederick County, Maryland, residents and activists opposed an Amazon data center expansion, leading to a construction pause amid health, water, and electricity concerns.
7/23/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Frederick County, Virginia residents debated May 7 data center impacts as the county adopted April 2025 noise and generator testing limits.
6/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Interesting
Loudoun County officials and residents discussed data-center expansion in Leesburg, Virginia, focusing on legal siting limits, reclaimed-water use, and local noise complaints.
7/7/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Frederick County, Maryland, expanded data center zoning by 1,000 acres in December, facing environmental and community opposition near Adamstown and legal challenges scheduled for a judge's ruling.
6/12/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Michael Turner urged Maryland county officials to strengthen data-center guardrails as moratoriums and political opposition expanded across Maryland in 2025.
8/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater issued two executive orders in 2025 after the Maryland Supreme Court ended a voter referendum on data centers.
7/2/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Loudoun County, Virginia faces rising electricity costs and water demand from data center growth, prompting closed-loop cooling and renewable energy requirements.
7/12/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General