Environmental advocates in Montgomery County raised alarms March 2026 about a proposed hyperscale data center in Dickerson, warning that its operations could undermine the county’s ambitious climate goals by significantly boosting greenhouse gas emissions.
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund and allied groups, including Nature Forward and Marylanders for Data Center Reform, highlighted the Atmosphere Data Center project during a March 6, 2026, Zoom press conference. Mike Tidwell, CCAN executive director, stated the facility would draw power from the fossil fuel-heavy PJM regional grid, potentially adding about 1 million tons of CO? annually—equivalent to emissions from 200,000 cars.
“This one data center, the first one they’re proposing here, would increase county greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% and represent a 1% to 2% increase in CO? for the entire state of Maryland,” Tidwell explained.
Atmosphere Data Centers describes the Dickerson site on its website as a Tier III+ facility with 300 MW of scalable power on 170 acres zoned for heavy industrial use, positioned 11 miles north of Virginia’s Data Center Alley. The company promotes sustainability plans, including potential future use of small modular nuclear reactors, but has not committed to 100% clean energy from day one. In county meetings, developers indicated reliance on the PJM grid and diesel backup generators rather than dedicated renewables.
Montgomery County targets 100% greenhouse gas reduction by 2035. Advocates argue the project conflicts with this goal, as grid power mixes include substantial fossil fuels. Angie McCarthy, representing Nature Forward and Marylanders for Data Center Reform, cited a study estimating $20 million in annual public health costs from diesel generator emissions alone.
“There is a paper that has put a number on the public health costs to Montgomery County from the backup diesel generator use,” McCarthy reported. “That total is about $20 million a year in socialized public health costs.”
Tidwell stressed urgency amid rapid data center growth driven by AI demand. “We are not opposed to data centers,” he emphasized. “We’re not opposed, necessarily, to AI. We need to slow down. We need to protect our health, and we need to figure out – even if it takes a little bit longer, even if it costs a little bit more – how can we do this truly sustainably?”
The project, on a former coal-fired power plant site, remains in Montgomery County’s approval process, with conditional use elements under review. Atmosphere representatives have argued against moratoriums, stating the site’s characteristics and design mitigate impacts.
Marylanders for Data Center Reform scheduled a rally March 11, 2026, at Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis to press for reforms addressing unchecked data center expansion, including energy demands, emissions, water use from the Potomac River, and other effects.
Advocates call for county council requirements mandating 100% clean power commitments for new hyperscale facilities to align with climate targets and safeguard ratepayers from added costs and pollution.