Maryland activist Taylor Frazier McCollum halted a $5 billion data‑center plan in Prince George’s County with over 25,000 signatures, confronting a $130 million budget shortfall. The victory stalls a project that could reshape the region’s economic outlook.
Campaign Stalls $5B Data Center
The proposed facility would sit on the site of a shopping mall that closed in 2002 and has remained vacant ever since. McCollum told NPR she reacted with “Oh, hell no.”
Opposition rises as the county battles a $130 million deficit. McCollum warned that water‑polluting, diesel‑generating data centers belong nowhere near homes, workplaces or play areas.
McCollum declared money a made‑up concept, insisting the environment holds the highest value. “Money is you, know a made‑up concept. We buy into it everyday and we choose that this has value and this doesn’t have value and to me the environment has the highest and utmost value and I need to honor that in any way,” she said.
Kelly Schulz, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council, counters that data centers would increase tax revenue and create high‑paying jobs. “As Prince George’s County adapts to new challenges to its economy and tax base, it’s vital to support industries that can create high‑paying jobs and significantly bolster tax revenues. The data center industry does exactly that, without the need for tax increases,” she said.
McCollum wants the site turned into a trampoline park after Six Flags shut down permanently last year. She argues the land should serve community recreation rather than a polluting data hub.
Teacher salaries in Loudoun County, Virginia, rose 40% from 2010 to 2023 after data‑center investment, according to The Daily Wire. The surge reflects broader gains in the region’s education funding.
Meta’s data‑center expansion in Richland Parish, Louisiana, funded a $50,000 teacher bonus, Superintendent Sheldon Jones said. “With bonuses like that, the best educators come to you, and we could become one of the best school districts in our region,” he added.
More than 400 local groups nationwide now advocate against new data‑center projects, signaling a growing anti‑tech backlash. The movement threatens to reshape siting decisions across the United States.
