Maryland Governor Must Clarify State’s Support for Proposed Fossil Fuel-Powered Data Center Project
Company seeking to reopen coal fired generation along the Potomac has cited support from Governor Moore, Maryland Department of the Environment to project investors
WASHINGTON — Public Citizen and the Port Tobacco River Conservancy today called on Maryland Governor Wes Moore to clarify whether his office or the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has endorsed a proposal to revive retired coal-fired electric generation facilities along the Potomac River in Charles County to power a planned data center.
In a presentation to investors on February 26, project developer, the bitcoin miner TeraWulf, claimed that the company’s plan to take ownership of four operational oil-fueled power plants, along with two coal units that were retired in 2022, was “Supported by Governor Moore and MDE.” TeraWulf has plans to “repower” the coal plants using either coal or natural gas to provide power to a data center nearby that has been proposed for the site.
In the letter to the governor seeking a meeting to discuss his office’s support for the project, the groups call on the governor to clarify his position to support the company’s plan to “re-power” the coal generation units without input from the local community.
“TeraWulf has never met publicly with local residents, and the little detail we do know of TeraWulf’s plans is not just deeply unsettling, but would also result in one of the largest buildouts of fossil fuel infrastructure in a community impacted by environmental injustice in modern Maryland history,” the groups write in the letter.
The Port Tobacco River Conservancy and Public Citizen are both intervenors in a proceeding before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is reviewing TeraWulf’s proposed acquisition of Morgantown Power, a 260 acre site on the Potomac River south of Washington, D.C.
“We are seeking a meeting with Governor Moore so he and his staff can explain whether they have endorsed TeraWulf’s fossil fuel expansion to power a planned data center on the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland,” said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program. “TeraWulf hasn’t met publicly with local residents, and details of its plans for the Morgantown Power site are vague, so we hope he can provide definitive clarity.”
“We are calling on Governor Moore to clarify his position,” said Tina Wilson, president of Port Tobacco River Conservancy. “While TeraWulf claims his administration’s full support for their 1,000 MW fossil fuel expansion, such a project would be a devastating step backward for Maryland’s climate goals. This community deserves a seat at the table, not a backroom deal that prioritizes data centers over the health and voices of Charles County families.”
# # #