Sugarloaf Alliance
Preservation • Smarter Growth • Transparency in Government
Sugarloaf Alliance Position
Regarding the Development of
Data Centers in Frederick County
Sugarloaf Alliance recognizes the importance of data centers to support communication and information technologies.
Our focus on protecting Frederick County's Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape area from incompatible development - such as data centers - has revealed issues that we share with many other communities impacted by growing data center development pressure.
While we don't oppose data centers in general, we support common sense regulations to govern the industry, including those recommended by the county's Data Center Workgroup.
We support policies and regulations that identify and quantify all costs and benefits, including economic and other impacts on county electric ratepayers.
We support policy and regulatory changes to optimize:
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county tax revenues,
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minimize environmental and climate impacts, and
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control the data center industry's use of electric power, water and other resources.
We encourage the county to take a broad view of economic opportunity by promoting diverse current and future land uses and business opportunities, including agriculture. Experience in other communities demonstrates that limits on data centers' environmental impacts and their use of public resources are necessary to achieve that goal and to serve other community priority needs.
Rowan NDA MPIA
September 24, 2026
The County has made public a signed copy of the NDA and attachment pages with additional county official’s signatures. The county has acknowledged that this does not complete our PIA request, and will continue to release additional records which Sugarloaf Alliance will publish at https://www.sugarloaf-alliance.com/content/rowan-nda-mpia as they become available.
Sugarloaf Alliance published a press release in response to the initial records received.
Sugarloaf Alliance initially submitted this MPIA regarding the NDA Frederick County negotiated with Rowan Green Data LLC between at least August 9, 2023, and September 20, 2023 as part of our mission to improve government openness and transparency.
Sugarloaf Alliance has a proven record of successful MPIA requests, having taken one case to the Maryland State Supreme Court and won for fees related to MPIA legal challenges.
Board of Elections and Referendum Committee Sued by Data Center Companies
April 14, 2026
Data center companies are suing the Board of Elections and the Referendum Committee to prevent the expansion question from coming to a vote.
YOU joined the movement to overturn the data center Overlay Zone expansion.
21,029 signatures were validated on the Referendum Petition - 15,611 were required to put the question on the ballot.
Who will decide what we vote on in Frederick County?
CDI Hearing and Override Study Veto
December 10, 2025
Data Center Citing Hearings
June 29, 2025
Read the results of Sugarloaf Alliance's latest Maryland Public Information Request re data centers here. Governor's office asks for enforcement "leniency
IW2, CDI Legislation, & MPRP
September 23, 2024
MPRP powerlines for data centers are projected to run through the Sugarloaf Plan area. The PSEG application is now before the Public Service Commission.
Hidden Costs of the Cloud: Data Centers in Virginia
Learn more about Hidden Costs of the Cloud: Data Centers in Virginia
MPRP
MPRP powerlines for data centers are projected to run through the Sugarloaf Plan area. The PSEG application is now before the Public Service Commission.
DRRA Update
September 8, 2026
In this Newsletter:
Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA)
This is an update on the DRRA mentioned in the last newsletter since the proposed agreement represents a real and quickly evolving threat to the Sugarloaf region and to County land use policies and prerogatives.
Referendum and Election Candidate Survey
June 10, 2026
The trial for the Data Center Referendum takes place on Friday at Frederick Circuit Court at 100 W Patrick St, Frederick, MD 21701 at 9:30 am. We have gathered some of the trial documents for public viewing.
The Sugarloaf Alliance invited all candidates for local offices to reply to a questionnaire seeking their positions on issues of interest to SA members: environmental stewardship, transparency in government, and data center siting and regulation. We have their responses.
Overturn the Overlay Zone Vote
January 14, 2026
The Overlay Zone legislation set up to 1% of county acreage to be available for data centers under this Overlay. The Planning Commission recommended limiting the Overlay to the existing Eastalco site and adjacent properties already planned to be industrial - a smaller area than the County Executive and staff proposed. On 12/23/25 the County
Council voted to expand the Overlay Zone, nearly doubling the area available to build data centers.
2025 Reflections
2025 Reflections
2025 was a busy year! Click here to learn how Sugarloaf Alliance has contributed to smarter growth efforts in Frederick County and beyond.
Overlay Zone Expanded
The Overlay Zone legislation set up to 1% of county acreage to be available for data centers under this Overlay. The Planning Commission recommended limiting the Overlay to the existing Eastalco site and adjacent properties already planned to be industrial - a smaller area than the County Executive and staff proposed. On 12/23/25 the County
Council voted to expand the Overlay Zone, nearly doubling the area available to build data centers.