Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich issued a six-month moratorium on permits for data center development Friday afternoon after months of debate among elected officials over how to address concerns about the centers’ environmental impact.

“It’s not a ban on data centers, it’s not a statement that data centers should never be built in Montgomery County, and it’s not a judgment on any specific proposal,” Elrich said at a news conference at the executive office building in Rockville before signing the executive order. “What this does is create a time for Montgomery County to establish clear rules and expectations before applications begin moving through the permitting process.”

The data center question has been a hot topic in the County Council and executive races, particularly as the county considers whether to approve a development in Dickerson.

Residents and county officials worry that data centers will increase water use, contribute to water and air pollution through excessive electricity emissions and raise energy bills. There are at least four data centers in Montgomery County, according to the planning board.

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Elrich’s order comes after two council members introduced their own legislation for moratoriums. Last month, Evan Glass introduced legislation proposing a six-month moratorium and Will Jawando introduced his own bill that would place a two-year pause on data center development.

Both council members, who are running for county executive in the June 23 Democratic primary, attended the executive order signing in support of the moratorium.

According to county officials, the two bills will still move forward for consideration and Elrich’s executive order does not preclude them. Under the moratorium, the county planning board can review plans for proposed data centers but cannot issue permits for them.

“We might not agree on every single issue related to the moratorium, but the important thing is we do agree that we need time to make sure we get this right,” Jawando said. “We can’t wait to protect our watershed. We can’t wait to protect our communities from industrial noise.”

Glass told reporters Friday he supports the executive order but, addressing the politics of the moment, noted he was the first to introduce legislation on data centers.

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“Strange things happen 11 days before an election, but I have been very consistent all along that we need to take a pause,” Glass said. “I’m glad all of my colleagues have had an 11th-hour conversion.”

Elrich has endorsed Jawando for county executive.

Council President Natali Fani-González said in a statement Friday that she welcomes Elrich’s moratorium.

“These facilities power many of the tools residents and businesses rely on every day, but they also raise serious questions related to energy use, water resources, and community and environmental impacts,” she said.

Fani-González said the moratorium will give the council the “space” to move forward on legislation she sponsored alongside council Vice President Marilyn Balcombe and Councilwoman Laurie-Anne Sayles that would determine where data centers can be built and which land-use regulations they must follow.