Massive Data Center Proposal Defeated in Maryland, For Now
A hyperscale data center battle was won on August 4, 2026, when Amazon Data Services (AWS) withdrew their application to build a one- to two million square foot data center on an 811-acre site next to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Maryland. A petition launched by Melissa Emmal and signed by more than 10,000 was key to mobilizing the public support which then led to ousting three sitting, pro-data center County Commissioners in June.
After the election, the Commissioners directed staff to stop working on the text amendments. But the process was rolling forward still on the submitted AWS site concept plan. In the meantime, the Board of Commissioners will vote on a moratorium to develop regulations guiding data centers to appropriate locations and to require highly effective measures preventing excessive noise, air pollution, water impacts, and other adverse effects.
While AWS has withdrawn their application, another company, Natelli Holdings, had proposed a data center nearby which is still under consideration, although nothing has been formally submitted to the County.
CEDS was retained by those living in the Lusby area where both data center campuses would be located. We drafted a 17-page letter presenting the scientific studies supporting concerns about data center noise, air pollution, excessive water use, impacts to threatened-endangered species, and other issues. In the letter CEDS pointed out that two major transmission lines pass through nearly 50 miles of Calvert County and could attract many other data centers should Calvert Commissioners fail to adopt effective safeguards such as those recommended in the CEDS Key Data Center Zoning Ordinance Components document and the CEDS How to Protect Your Home from Data Center Impacts webpage: https://ceds.org/datacenter/.
As is usually the case with victories involving data centers and other major projects, success is primarily due to mobilizing widespread voter support which Melissa Emmal’s petition accomplished. It is hard to win though unless the concerns prompting voter support are based on solid evidence of harm as opposed to suspicions of harm. For further detail see the Maryland Matters article Amazon abandons plans for data center campus at Calvert Cliffs.