NAACP, CEEJH Counter County Data Center Report With Independent Findings

Two civil rights and environmental health organizations published an independent counter-report on March 12 arguing that Prince George's County's official data center task force failed to grapple with the environmental and public health stakes facing the county's communities.

The NAACP and the Center for the Economic and Environmental Justice Housing (CEEJH, Inc.) co-released "The People's Report: A Gap Analysis of Data Center Infrastructure in Prince George's County, Maryland," a direct challenge to the county's Qualified Data Center Task Force 2025 report. The counter-report contends that the county-commissioned findings failed to adequately examine environmental justice and civil rights implications, and did not sufficiently assess negative air quality impacts, energy justice concerns, or water usage effects tied to data center development.

"We continue to stand with communities across Maryland and the entire nation to ensure that those most impacted are not only heard, but are leading the conversations and decisions about data center development," said Abre' Conner, Esq., the NAACP's Director of Environmental and Climate Justice.

The People's Report was developed through a collaborative effort of public health, policy, and law academic experts alongside community leaders and residents. It draws on lived experiences of people living near data center facilities in Loudon, Virginia and Memphis, Tennessee, and incorporates direct survey responses from Prince George's County community members. The report evaluates specific gaps in the task force's policy recommendations and puts forward alternative recommendations of its own, though the full text of those alternatives was not detailed in the release materials.

The NAACP framed the stakes as extending well beyond the county's borders. The release states that decisions made in Prince George's County "will set a precedent across Maryland and beyond," and calls on the county to adopt "a model of responsible, equitable oversight that protects public health and encourages environmentally-friendly development."

Prince George's County has become a focal point in Maryland's rapidly expanding data center industry, which has drawn scrutiny from environmental advocates over its demands on the power grid and water supply. The county task force report was meant to guide policy on that growth; The People's Report argues it left too many questions unanswered.

No response from county officials or the Qualified Data Center Task Force was included in the release materials. Journalists seeking the full counter-report or comment from the issuing organizations can contact NAACP Public Relations Manager Chyna Fields at communications@naacpnet.org or CEEJH Director of Communications Jessica Berger at jessica.berger@ceejh.org.