Maryland has passed the Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act of 2024 (CISA), which clarifies the definition and legislative framework around the use of emergency backup power generation in the state. The CISA bill, signed by Governor Wes Moore on May 9, passed with a unanimous vote in both the state House and Senate. The newly enacted legislation which goes into effect July 1, reiterates the state’s commitment to welcoming data centers, and fosters continuous innovation for businesses throughout Maryland. Governor Moore emphasizes that “this bill is going to supercharge the data center industry in Maryland.”
“We applaud and thank Governor Moore and the Maryland Legislature for their foresight and efforts to streamline and clarify the use of back-up generators, not just for data centers, but for other industries as well, including healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and education,” comments Rich Paul-Hus, SVP of Public Affairs at Quantum Loophole, the developer of the first multi-gigawatt scale master-planned data center community.
Quantum Loophole’s campus in Frederick, MD, consists of over 2,100 acres of entitled, shovel ready land for deployment of large-scale internet infrastructure. The campus is served by power from First Energy and its wholly owned transmission and distribution entity, Potomac Edison, at a multi-gigawatt scale. The largest capacity fiber ring ever constructed with up to 235,000 strands interconnects the Frederick campus to Northern Virginia via underground ducts designed to exceed the highest security standards.
“Within just 20-miles of the internet ecosystem located in Northern Virginia, Quantum Loophole in Frederick, Maryland now has a fast-track path forward to welcoming data centers,” Paul-Hus says. “Our first-of-its-kind master-planned Data Center Communities are purposely designed to create a mutual benefit for the environment, the community, and the data center industry. Our goal is to create a growth path for digital infrastructure that helps to fund vital programs for residents throughout the state, while designing a nature-first approach to industrial development.”
“Third-party economic reports equate the value of this bill to be worth at least $30 billion in capital investments over the next 20 years with over 52,000 jobs statewide and $3.4 billion in associated employee compensation during the construction phase of Quantum Frederick alone,” adds Josh Snowhorn, Founder and CEO of Quantum Loophole. “The economic estimates only tip the iceberg of what’s possible as we bring online more fiber optic and power enabled land for data center development for the industry and for the people of Maryland.”
By John Celentano, Inside Towers, Business Editor
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