Commissioners raise water, power and tax concerns ahead of Federalsburg data-center meeting

Commissioners and staff discussed an upcoming public meeting in Federalsburg about a proposed data-center project and expressed concerns about potential local impacts, including water use, electricity demand, construction jobs and long-term employment.

A planning participant summarized the public meeting will be Monday in Federalsburg and noted the project site (the AquaCon property) lies inside town boundaries, making it primarily a municipal matter but one that will affect Caroline County if the town requests water and sewer extensions. Commissioners agreed the public hearing will provide facts about the projects scale and developer proposals.

Speakers discussed several areas of local concern often highlighted in other jurisdictions' reviews: water consumption for cooling systems, backup power generation and the potential need for new substations and transmission lines, and whether operators seek tax rebates or incentives that could reduce county revenues. One participant noted that some counties have adopted short-term moratoria on data-center approvals to study local impacts; another said some jurisdictions require data centers to be self-sufficient in energy generation as a condition of approval to avoid stressing the local grid.

The commission also discussed job impacts, noting most operational data centers employ relatively few permanent staff (estimates cited ranged from tens of employees for smaller facilities). Commissioners noted construction will create short-term jobs but asked staff and town officials to clarify permanent employment projections and any infrastructure commitments the developer proposes.

Planning staff said the Monday hearing will be the first opportunity for residents and town officials to hear developer proposals directly and that Delmarva Power or other utility representatives may be present to answer questions about potential grid impacts and required infrastructure.

The commission urged residents to attend the Federalsburg meeting to hear facts and raise questions about water, energy and tax conditions; commissioners indicated they will monitor the town process closely because annexations or water-and-sewer extensions could trigger county approvals or plan amendments.