Maryland activist Taylor Frazier McCollum gathered more than 25,000 signatures in a campaign that helped stall a $5 billion data center project in Prince George’s County.
The opposition comes as the county faces a $130 million budget deficit.
McCollum, who led the charge against the data center, argues that money is a made-up concept.
“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.”
The data center was supposed to be constructed on the site of a shopping mall that closed in 2002. The property has remained undeveloped since. McCollum told NPR her reaction to learning of the project was: “Oh, hell no.”
“Why would you want to bring water-polluting, diesel-generating data centers right down the street from where people live, work, play?” McCollum asked. “It just didn’t make sense to me.”
Kelly Schulz, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council, has argued that data centers would bolster the county’s 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. “Thoughtful development of a data center enables Prince George’s County to secure its position as a major digital hub, bringing massive new investment, high-paying jobs, and a diversified tax base that will benefit residents for decades to come.”
McCollum told Fox News that she hopes the land is used for a trampoline park, citing Six Flags’ departure from the area. The amusement park closed permanently last year.
McCollum previously worked at a waxing center and has since become an activist.
Other communities have welcomed data centers. Teacher salaries in Loudoun County, Virginia, rose 40% from 2010 to 2023, as The Daily Wire previously reported. Meta’s data center expansion in Richland Parish, Louisiana, helped the parish fund $50,000 teacher bonuses.
“With bonuses like that,” said Richland Parish School District Superintendent Sheldon Jones, “The best educators come to you. And if we can attract the best teachers, we could become one of the best school districts in our region.”
The anti-data center movement has spread across America. More than 400 local groups are now actively advocating against new facilities.
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