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12/10/25

Time to Override the Veto!

Support Data Center Study Legislation

 

We understand that the Maryland legislature will reconvene next week and it's imperative to our community that the legislature override the governor's veto of the Data Center Study legislation. We need to get this item on their agenda! Click here to add your voice.

 

Sugarloaf Alliance supported the legislation when it was under consideration last spring, and we continue to point out that decision-makers are making high-impact choices about data centers with insufficient and even inaccurate (industry spun) information about actual costs and benefits. The Data Center Study legislation will help to protect communities and the environment, including our local streams, rivers, and the Bay.

 

Please take a minute, use the template, and join this effort!

 

Public Hearing

CDI Overlay Zone Map

Plan to attend this pivotal session!

 

Tuesday, 12/16, 5:30pm

Winchester Hall, 12 E. Church Street, Frederick

 

 This is a big one! The Frederick County Council will hold its public hearing on the CDI Overlay Zone Map - designating where data centers can be built - on Tuesday beginning at 5:30pm. See the agenda and its attached documents here. Please plan to attend AND submit your comments (see below).

 

Background:

On the one hand, the Overlay Zone expansion map presented by the county administration and staff would double the area already approved for data centers at Eastalco, with insufficient objective information on how the first wave of hyperscale data centers will affect the local environment and the Frederick County community. We do know:

  • Our electricity bills are skyrocketing, in part to support existing regional data centers' enormous energy draw;

  • New power lines will be needed to support more data centers' humongous energy draw (Where will they go? MPRP would be just the start); and

  • More tax breaks will be awarded to the rich corporate tech interests. What will that cost us?

On the other hand, the map recommended by the Frederick County Planning Commission limits the Overlay Zone Map to the "existing Quantum Frederick data center campus that already has site and preliminary plan approval and areas known as the Noffsinger and Windridge properties, east of Cap Stine Road" (Frederick News-Post). This largely agrees with the position advocated by the Sugarloaf Alliance.

 

Compare the two maps here. Also see the map attachments to the County Council agenda.

 

What you can do:

  • Show up on Tuesday. Overwhelming turnout will be critical if we are to change Council Members' minds going into election year.

  • Write an email to Council Members (see below). Click here for ideas (from our successful presentation to the Planning Commission) about what to say.

     

What comes next:

Believe it or not, the Council plans to meet on Tuesday, December 23rd to make their decision. At that time, Council Members may offer amendments to the proposed CDI Overlay Map. If the Council majority approves amendments, they could just go ahead and vote on THAT map without an opportunity for the public to comment on the newly amended proposal. Why do you think they made this schedule?

 

Sugarloaf Alliance has joined with other county environmental organizations in a letter requesting that the Council reconsider their timing in order to allow public comment on any revised Overlay Zone Map. We encourage you also to include these recommendations in your comments.

 

Write to County Council Members:

​Note: You can write to them as a group at councilmembers@frederickcountymd.gov

We also encourage to copy County Executive Fitzwater at countyexecutive@frederickcountymd.gov

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