Montgomery County leaders are weighing the potential development of data centers launching a public conversation Tuesday night at a community forum hosted by County Executive Marc Elrich in Rockville.
Large data centers, which make it possible for technology users to store information on “the cloud, are buildings that have computer equipment to store, process, and share information. They require a amount of electricity and cooling power.
Supporters cited economic benefits, and skeptics – who made up the majority of speakers at Tuesday’s forum – brought up environmental and social concerns.
Elrich has said he believes data centers could be built in Montgomery County as long as they are constructed responsibly. Recently, county councilmembers introduced two competing bills to regulate potential data centers. A data center located at the former Dickerson Power Plant site has provisional approval.
