• Woodlawn Data Center, Baltimore, MD: Maryland Data Center Series Pt. 2

    Woodlawn is no stranger to large buildings, but plans for data centers threaten the health of an overburdened and underserved community.


  • TeraWulf Data Center, Charles County, MD: Maryland Data Center Series, Pt. 1

    Developer TeraWulf plans to convert an oil power plant in Charles County into a data center, raising concerns from environmental and consumer protection organizations. But what are the details of the proposed data center? And who is TeraWulf, the crypto-mining company-turned data center developer behind the project? The Proposed Project In February 2026, TeraWulf filed…


  • Post-Sine Die Updates

    The Maryland General Assembly will wrap up Monday, April 13th after many hours of poring over legislation, tracking amendments, and hundreds of letters from Nature Forward’s members to their legislators. Read on to understand which of our priority bills were able to pass muster this session. This year, Nature Forward and Marylanders for Data Center…


  • What is the Utility RELIEF Act and Where Is It Now?

    The Utility RELIEF Act is a broad energy and environmental bill focused on lowering electricity costs for Maryland ratepayers. It is an omnibus bill, incorporating aspects from at least 15 different energy and environmental bills that did not pass on their own this session. Originally, the bill’s data center provisions were fairly weak. However, after working with members of the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment, several of Nature Forward and Marylanders…


  • Data Center Bills for MDGA2026

    Sine Die Updates: You can read our full press release on the end of session here! Crossover Updates Before Crossover, Governor Wes Moore and General Assembly leadership introduced the Utility RELIEF Bill, which is an omnibus bill that includes many of the energy and data center bills that we have been working on. Even if…


  • 2026 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Priorities

    Updates: Bill Outcome Next Steps CHERISH (HB1287) Dead – read more here Work with MDE and coalition members to ensure that CHERISH finds a middle ground for next session CHERISH (HB1268) Dead – read more here Work with MDE and coalition members to ensure that CHERISH finds a middle ground for next session Bottle Bill…


  • Rally for Data Center Reform on March 11!

    Join the Marylanders for Data Center Reform coalition for our inaugural Lobby Day for data center reform. Sign up to meet with YOUR legislators to advocate for responsible data center development in Maryland. Kick off the day at 9 AM at Lawyer’s Mall (in front of the State House) with speakers, then join us for…


  • Data Centers are said to create jobs, but people need to know: what kind and how many?

    Guest post by Nature Forward volunteer Sheila Igoe…if you’d like to research, write, and edit educational materials like this, reach out! Photo via The Cyber Express Among the many controversies surrounding data center construction is the question of jobs–how many and what kind will be created during construction and operational periods? Empirical evidence shows that…


  • Data Centers and Water Use

    The rapid expansion of server-based data management and storage, especially with the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) has spurred a major data center building boom. This growth has driven a concomitant demand for the land, electricity, and water needed for these new data centers.  


  • What is PJM? Why Does It Matter? How Can You Help?

    PJM is the regional transmission organization (RTO) for our area here in the mid-Atlantic. Originally responsible for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland (thus, PJM), it now manages the electric grid for the entire mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest. As explained below, PJM has enormous power over electricity rates and the availability of clean energy.