The final post in GCHIC’s series examines whether Prince George’s County will turn data center recommendations into clear, enforceable rules.

How Prince George’s County reviews data center proposals—and why process alone can’t replace clear rules, enforceable standards, and real community benefit.

Why Performance Standards Matter  In this series, GCHIC has evaluated the Qualified Data Center Task Force’s recommendations against Smart Digital Growth —a policy framework developed to help Prince George’s County harness the fiscal benefits of data centers while avoiding the land‑use, infrastructure, and community harms seen elsewhere. In Part 1 , we explained why the Task Force was created, how it operated, and what its report sets in motion. In Part 2 , we examined the Ta

In recent weeks, momentum has shifted in Prince George’s County over the proposed data center at the former Landover Mall site. While the project isn’t dead yet, what once seemed like a done deal is now facing increasing scrutiny and community pushback.  On September 15, County Executive Aisha Braveboy issued an executive order halting all permit approvals for new data centers—effectively freezing progress while a newly formed Qualified Data Center Task Force conducts a compr