Montgomery County environmental groups are concerned a hyperscale data center in Dickerson could generate enough carbon emissions to "single-handedly" sink Montgomery County’s climate pollution reduction goals.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network Fund warned developers of the proposed Atmosphere Data Center have refused to commit to clean energy.

Mike Tidwell, executive director of the network, said the center plans to draw power from the carbon-heavy regional electric grid.

"This one data center, the first one they're proposing here, would increase county greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% and represent a 1% to 2% increase in CO₂ for the entire state of Maryland," Tidwell explained.

Atmosphere's website touts the center as "sustainable," drawing power from carbon-free nuclear energy with a battery backup system. However, in meetings with county officials, the developers refused to commit to renewable energy, saying they plan to use the RJM regional power grid and use diesel-powered backup generators. The project is in the county's approval process.

Montgomery County has a goal of a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

Angie McCarthy, advocate for the groups Nature Forward and Marylanders for Data Center Reform, said the data center's plans run counter to the county's program for transitioning to clean energy.

"There is a paper that has put a number on the public health costs to Montgomery County from the backup diesel generator use," McCarthy reported. "That total is about $20 million a year in socialized public health costs."

Tidwell pointed out he and others are concerned data center developers are in too much of a hurry to get their facilities online and are not considering the consequences and harmful effects if the facilities are built improperly.

"We are not opposed to data centers," Tidwell emphasized. "We're not opposed, necessarily, to AI. We need to slow down. We need to protect our health, and we need to figure out – even if it takes a little bit longer, even if it costs a little bit more – how can we do this truly sustainably?"

Marylanders for Data Center Reform are planning a rally on the issues March 11 at Lawyer's Mall in Annapolis.

Source: Public News Service