This article was written by WTOP’s news partner Bethesda Today and republished with permission. Sign up for Bethesda Today’s free email subscription today.
One month after the Montgomery County Council’s passage of an 18-month moratorium on data center development, the California company looking to construct a data center campus in Dickerson continues to evaluate its options for the project, Kris Warner, an Atmosphere Data Centers spokesperson, told Bethesda Today on Wednesday.
Warner said that last week the company withdrew its appeal of a zoning interpretation related to a now-moot six-month data center moratorium implemented by County Executive Marc Elrich (D) in June. Elrich’s executive order barred the county’s permitting department from accepting, processing or considering permit applications for new data centers.
When the County Council unanimously voted July 28 to approve its 18-month moratorium, Elrich’s executive order became moot. After the moratorium passed, council members said the pause will allow the county time to hear more from residents and work through issues such as tax policy, water usage and noise regulations before new data centers are built in the county.
