Dorchester County MD one-year data center moratorium (2026)

Dorchester County, Md. — RESOLUTION adopting a ONE-YEAR moratorium on data centers, passed by the County Council in August 2026, together with THE HIRING OF A LOBBYING FIRM to help the council advance its interests. THE LOBBYING RETENTION IS THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE: no other local instrument in this dataset pairs a moratorium with external representation. It reflects a judgment that a local pause alone is insufficient where the decisive rules \u2014 Maryland state legislation, PJM interconnection policy, utility ratemaking \u2014 are set above the county, and that a small jurisdiction needs a voice in those fora as well as control of its own permits. STATED PURPOSE: the council and staff determined they needed more time to research and understand the complexities associated with data centers BEFORE creating permanent policies and zoning laws, with the goal of gathering sufficient information over the 12 months to make well-informed decisions. DELIVERABLES AND PROCESS: staff to return in SPRING 2027 with initial findings and recommendations; a STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE to be formed INCLUDING CITIZENS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS \u2014 the express inclusion of industry contrasts with the resident-and-city-staff task forces contemplated in Palm Beach County FL one-year large data center moratorium (2026) and the citizen study group in the Walker County Georgia measure; staff to research how other counties have managed similar situations and propose a committee structure. County Manager JERRY JONES: 'I would suggest that we go back and look at what other counties have done in a similar situation and then we'll come back to you with suggestions on a game plan.' TERRITORIAL LIMIT, stated expressly: the moratorium applies ONLY TO THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS of Dorchester County. The council plans to inform municipal partners such as HURLOCK; Council President LENNY PFEFFER: 'Each municipality would have to make their own legislation as to what they're going to do.' This is the same county/municipality boundary recorded on Logan County KY 12-month data center moratorium (2026) and Cottage Grove WI 18-month data center moratorium (2026), where the village had to act because the county pause did not reach it.