Op-Ed Submission: Principles For Responsible Data Center Development

The following Op-ed was submitted by Rodgers Consulting:

Principles for Responsible Data Center Development

CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – Data centers are becoming what railroads were to the industrial age and what highways were to the modern economy: the backbone of our modern society. For Calvert County, the opportunity that data centers present stands to be this generation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.

Technology hasn’t just evolved — it has accelerated at a pace many of us have experienced firsthand, as Gen Xers and Millennials witnessed the rapid shift from 8-tracks to streaming and payphones to smartphones, all within what feels like a single generation, driven by an unseen yet essential digital backbone at the center of it all: data centers. They support cloud services which in turn support our healthcare systems, national security, finance, education, streaming services, and much more. Data centers also support artificial intelligence and machine learning that enables truly impactful benefits to our modern society like faster emergency response, agricultural technology, groundbreaking medical research, one-on-one tutoring, and smarter infrastructure planning that leads to safer, more resilient communities.

The economic benefits of data center development are immense and rarely disputed — they bring capital investment, tax revenue, high-paying jobs, and support for local services. Yet, the costs often associated with data centers — whether visual, environmental, or operational — are widely misunderstood, and in many cases, overstated. Communities do not need to compromise their values or lose their identity to realize the benefits. There is a better outcome.

To guide this opportunity, we present nine key principles — organized towards three stakeholder groups — the industry, government and community. Success is not the product of a single entity — it is built when stakeholders each bring their perspectives, priorities, and leadership to the table. The following principles are designed to foster collaboration, promote responsible data center development, and to ensure that growth strengthens rather than strains the communities in which it occurs.

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Industry Principles

The Data Center Industry plays a critical role in shaping Maryland’s digital infrastructure of the future. As stewards of technological investment and efficient deployment of capital, industry leaders must go beyond this traditional role to also foster local community trust, anticipate challenges, and lead with transparency and accountability. They must align their investments with local needs, priorities, and people while meeting the rapidly growing data storage and computational needs of our larger society.

1. Communicate Effectively. When industry fails to communicate the facts and dispel myths, others will fill the space, most likely with misinformation. At the same time, the community’s and government’s curiosity and concern are natural; consistent and honest dialogue is the path to build trust and create partnerships.
2. Invest in Ongoing Education. The realm of infrastructure and the economics of data center development is relatively new and much different than traditional land use policy. At the same time, the technology and innovation that data centers are both responding to and driving is rapidly evolving. Industry leaders and data center developers have a responsibility to educate all stakeholders about the infrastructure, economics, and operations of modern data centers. Often the innovations in sustainability, design, and energy management of modern data centers are mitigating many of the concerns rooted in outdated perceptions.
3. Seek to Understand Local Community Needs. Each community is distinct in its values, land use policies, and aspirations. Data center developers must be proactive in constructively engaging with and listening deeply to the communities where they choose to operate. When industry overlooks the individuality of a community, it risks alienating stakeholders, eroding trust, and jeopardizing success.
4. Prioritize Thoughtful Design. When well-planned and designed, data centers don’t have to create the compatibility problems exemplified by earlier versions data centers. In addition to local zoning law, certain siting requirements apply to all projects such as access to power and adequate land area to accommodate buildings with their appurtenances, parking, substation and/or switching station, security, and with room to account for appropriate setbacks and stormwater management practices. Beyond basic requirements, however, lie opportunities to address common concerns: preservation of forest and topography to protect viewsheds and assist with sound attenuation; access to graywater systems for responsible cooling practices; proximity to transmission lines to avoid disruption of new construction for transmission; and access to major arterial or collector roadways rather than residential and rural roads. Thoughtfully sited buildings and infrastructure that blend with their surroundings — utilizing landscaping, screening, buffering, and operational best practices — can truly integrate into the landscape or fabric of a community.

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Government Principles

Government has a central role in shaping how data center development contributes to community prosperity. To successfully support and regulate data centers, governments must set clear expectations, plan thoughtfully, and engage constructively, to ensure that projects strengthen rather than strain their jurisdictions.

5. Be Proactive and Informed. Data centers deliver significant economic and fiscal benefits — supporting community services, driving innovation, creating high-value jobs, and shaping competitive communities — while also bringing unique infrastructure and operational demands. Governments should take a proactive stance — building knowledge, maintaining an open dialogue with the industry, and anticipating future trends — to position their communities for long-term success rather than reactionary conflict.
6. Make Digital Infrastructure Core to Comprehensive Planning. Comprehensive Plans serve as the blueprint for land use and transportation planning, resource protection, and economic vitality. They also establish community goals that affect how capital improvement projects are selected and how budgets are prioritized. Broadband service, for example, is a clear example of digital infrastructure as a core element of comprehensive planning. Just as roads, utilities, and schools are treated as essential to community growth, so too must data centers and digital infrastructure be recognized as foundational.
7. Embrace Partnership for Shared Prosperity. The data center industry can be a great partner in those communities that understand their benefit and welcome them. Data center operators often invest directly in local organizations, infrastructure and services that further strengthen communities. When governments foster these partnerships they invite not only economic resilience but also civic and social investment.

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Community Principles

The stewardship of community identity rests, in part, with the people who live there. When residents seek to understand how the development and operation of data centers will benefit and impact their communities by engaging constructively, they help ensure that these facilities enhance, rather than compromise, the places they call home.

8. Become Informed and Discerning. Unfortunately, there are examples where first-generation data centers are bad neighbors. Whether through incompatible design (i.e., large data center buildings too close to residences) or through insensitive operations of older technologies, these bad examples are well known and form a basis for fear or concern when new data centers are proposed nearby. Modern data centers, however, are evolving rapidly, with new standards in sustainability, design, and community compatibility. Communities that take the time to learn about the specific circumstances of proposed projects are better equipped to separate perception from reality and to advocate effectively for their interests. Staying informed requires more than passive consumption — residents should actively seek out commissioner and planning commission agendas, review published independent studies, and recognize that news and social media algorithms typically only surface local policy information if you have actively sought it out in the past — meaning one must be intentional in what to follow and search to stay informed.
9. Engage Constructively. Data center developers and operators, just like residents, want to be good neighbors. When communities engage constructively — sharing their priorities, offering local insight, and collaborating on design solutions — the result is stronger projects that respect local identity while delivering shared benefits. However, meaningful engagement remains a challenge for governments, which often reach tens of thousands of residents through press releases, social media, news articles, email updates, flyers, and dedicated websites, yet receive only a small fraction of responses. This creates a real opportunity for residents to participate more actively by engaging in zoning updates, public processes, and signing up for project communications so their voices are part of the dialogue.

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Dusty Rood, AICP, is Chief Executive Officer and President of Rodgers Consulting, and Danielle Conrow, P.E., is a Principal and Team Leader, bringing leadership and hands-on experience in land planning, engineering, and community development. Their perspective on responsible data center development reflects Rodgers’ commitment to strengthening communities through creativity, thoughtful execution, and partnerships with clients who share their core values.