At the July 13, 2026 Carroll Manor Elementary School community listening session with the Board of Education, I shared several policy solutions that would help better protect our schools, our farmland, and our quality of life.  

 

These include:

• Repeal tax exemption on sale of personal property for data centers (2026 HB560) established under the 2020 bill SB397/CH640.

• Reinstate requirements for data center back up systems to meet the Public Service Commission requirements.

• Require all data centers in Maryland to use Tier IV or better standards for their diesel generators.

• Require data centers to be self-sufficient in their water and power consumption, as required in other states and countries.

• Require data centers to cover the unanticipated county expenses of water usage, road maintenance, pollution monitoring, and fire & safety equipment and training.

• Require utility companies to establish commercial data center rates higher than standard commercial rates.

• Establish state of the art monitoring of air and aquifer quality near a data center. 

• Expand funding for state rural and agriculture preservation programs, because if farmland is not under a preservation program the zoning can be changed at anytime.

 

Other potential policy solutions:

• Require data centers to offset their electrical demands by providing solar or wind power generation back into the electrical grid.

• Require all data center community agreements include a provision to provide upgrade local fire and rescue equipment to improve public safety for communities near a data center.

• Insist that power companies meeting the data center demands use the existing rights of way for upgrades and restrict the expansion of lines into new spaces.

 

The conversation about data center is no longer just about economic development—it's about the health, safety, and future of our children.  

 

As more data centers move into development across Frederick County and neighboring communities families are asking important questions about air quality, water resources, noise, infrastructure, and what these projects could mean for the schools our children attend every day. 

 

Those questions deserve clear answers, transparency and action.

 

Our communities should never have to choose between responsible growth and protecting the next generation. 

 

We can support innovation while also demanding stronger oversight, accountability, and common-sense safeguards that put residents first.  

We must continue these conversations because the decisions we make today will shape Frederick County for decades to come. 

 

Please share what protections you believe should be required before data centers are built near schools and neighborhoods at Lara@Westdorp4Senate.com.

 

Listen to my July 13th testimony at https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JNjzwa1Am/

 

Hear the list in my summary reel https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HFmXwDGKi/

  or at https://www.tiktok.com/@westdorp4senate/video/7662528161011207454?lang=en