HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — A data center development proposed in Howard County has now been placed on hold.
On Monday, the Howard County Council unanimously approved a temporary ban during a meeting.
Howard County now joins Baltimore, Frederick, and Prince George's counties in implementing limitations on data center construction.
Although Howard County is currently home to a couple of smaller data-processing centers, there are no current plans to build a large campus-style data center that has drawn significant opposition from other communities.
If signed into law, the legislation will establish a task force to define what constitutes a data center and to recommend county zoning changes.
The ban will remain in effect until November 2, 2027.
The ban can also expire early if the task force completes its goals first or if the rezoning process concludes before the expiration date.
