U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) at the 2024 Maryland Association of Counties summer convention. Cardin this week raised concerns about proposed data centers and the power lines needed to supply them. File photo by Danielle Brown.
U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D), a leading Maryland environmentalist for decades, is weighing in on two related high-profile controversies over energy supply and the environment.
In a letter Tuesday to Gov. Wes Moore (D), Cardin urges the state to proceed cautiously as it seeks to become a major hub of data centers for the tech industry. In a separate letter Tuesday to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), the senator expresses concerns about a proposed high-voltage transmission line project that would run through the state en route to data centers in Northern Virginia.
The two issues are interrelated.
Cardin’s unparalleled 58-year political career will come to a close in January, meaning as a practical matter he has limited influence over the disposition of these projects. But he still carries stature as a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and a longtime champion of Chesapeake Bay health and other environmental initiatives in the state. And his skepticism about establishing a data center industry in Maryland is noteworthy.
Moore is seeking to make Maryland attractive to tech companies that are looking to open data centers to power the internet and the expansion of artificial intelligence. The General Assembly this year overwhelmingly passed legislation from Moore that would ease the environmental review process for proposed data centers.
While acknowledging data centers’ “value to innovation and economic growth,” Cardin goes on to cast doubt on the path the state has taken.
“I do not believe current policy balances the benefits of data centers to Marylanders against the substantial negative impacts that the unmitigated development of data centers would have on our already overburdened grid, ratepayers, and environment,” he wrote.
Under the legislation, the Moore administration has set up a data center stakeholder group to discuss issues related to setting up the industry in the state. The first stakeholder group meeting took place during the summer; the second is set for Oct. 3.
“Importantly, a transparent and rigorous review process that allows for public participation should serve as the foundation of the State’s framework for a thoughtful and sustainable data center siting policy,” Cardin wrote to Moore. “This review process should include rigorous investigation into the true cost of the required transmission upgrades.
“Second, the process should address the short and long- term cumulative impacts of each additional data center on land use, energy and water consumption, and impact on Maryland’s climate and energy efficiency goals,” he wrote.
Cardin’s letter to the PSC concerns the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, which would run high-voltage transmission lines from a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, through Frederick, Carroll and Baltimore counties to support data centers in Northern Virginia. Although there is no formal proposal before the PSC yet, the very concept has stirred up major opposition throughout Central Maryland in recent months.
In his letter, Cardin notes that the route for the proposed transmission line would run through jurisdictions that “carry the majority of Maryland’s conservation easements and are home to many rural communities.”
“As the Commission evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed transmission line, it is critical it thoroughly assess and explore alternative routes and mitigation strategies that would minimize the project’s impact on rural residents and their livelihoods,” Cardin wrote.
“We urge the Commission to engage with community stakeholders, landowners, and local conservation and preservation organizations to gather insights on how best to lessen the project’s impacts,” his letter said. “It is imperative the decision-making process reflects a comprehensive understanding of the social and environmental implications of the proposed project, including any impacts on overburdened and underserved communities.”
While the first major data center project in Maryland is in the early stages of development in Frederick County, the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project would not service that project.