By Steve Crane | Editor-in-chief
“What I think is really striking is that people don't like it across the board, whether it's next to them or some other place in the state. It doesn't matter where it's at, they don't want it here in the state.” - Mileah Kromer, director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, on its new poll that showed overwhelming opposition to data centers in the state.
Data centers can go away, a poll says, a wind turbine manufacturer walks away, for now, and state regulators try to find a way to boost workplace safety inspections. It’s a busy Thursday morning.
It’s become increasingly obvious that more and more people are leery of data centers, but a new poll confirms it: Eight voters in 10 said they oppose data centers in the state, the poll says. It also reports on Gov. Wes Moore’s favorability and people’s opinion on the direction of the state, as Bryan P. Sears reports.
Lost in the ballyhoo over the announcement that Anduril Industries plans a massive new shipyard at Sparrows Point was the fact that the project will be built on what had been a site where US Wind planned to manufacture wind turbine parts. But with the Trump administration trying to shut down wind projects, US Wind decided to turn over its lease to Anduril. Christine Condon has that story.
The Davis Martinez Act — named for the first state parole officer to be killed in the line of duty — took effect a year ago, with the goal of making workplaces safer for government workers. Lawmakers were briefed on the first year’s results, which are mixed, as William J. Ford reports.
Bryan also has the story of the private law firm being hired to defend Gov. Wes Moore against defamation charges, plus more headlines from the week below. Enjoy!
A data center opponent in Arkansas. In Maryland, a new poll shows an overwhelming majority of voters oppose building data centers anywhere in the state. (File photo by Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate)
By Bryan P. Sears
A majority of Maryland voters are opposed to building data centers in the state and have a dim view of artificial intelligence, which they believe will have a negative impact on society, a new poll shows.
Half of those surveyed in the poll released Thursday by the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County were asked about support for data centers being built anywhere in Maryland and the other half were asked about a data center near their community. In both cases, nearly 8 in 10 were opposed.
The survey of 776 Marylanders who said they were likely to vote also found just 49% of Marylanders approve of the job Gov. Wes Moore (D) is doing, despite polls showing him as the heavy favorite for reelection; 59% believe the state is on the wrong track; and finances are the overwhelming concern for voters. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5%.
US Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski outside the U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Dec. 10, 2025, after a hearing on the Trump administration's plans to reconsider the permit issued for its Maryland wind farm. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)
By Christine Condon
US Wind, the company behind a proposed offshore wind development off the coast of Ocean City, no longer plans to develop components for wind turbines at Baltimore County's Sparrows Point — at least not for now.
The Baltimore-based company turned over its lease at the Tradepoint Atlantic site in Sparrows Point to Anduril Industries, the shipbuilding company whose arrival was heralded on Tuesday by a visit from President Donald Trump (R). It comes as US Wind's only offshore wind project, planned for Ocean City's coastline, continues to face legal headwinds and roadblocks from the Trump administration, which is trying to rescind previously approved permits for the project.
In a statement Tuesday, US Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski said his company "jumped at the opportunity" to bring "near-term" jobs to the Sparrows Point site as US Wind faces delays. The site will be taken over by Anduril, which plans to invest $3.7 billion at the former home of Bethlehem Steel to construct a new shipbuilding facility, Arsenal-2, that is expected to bring an estimated 3,100 permanent new jobs to Maryland.
Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery), right, asks a question during a briefing for the Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight on the Davis Martinez Act. Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Montgomery) listens. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)
By William J. Ford
State regulators issued $125,150 in civil penalties to state, county and local governments over an eight-month period for failing to adhere to workplace safety requirements, lawmakers were told Wednesday.
The penalties were issued by Maryland Occupational Safety and Health as part of the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act, which took effect Oct. 1, 2025. The act, named in honor of a slain parole agent, aims to toughen enforcement of safety rules for state and local government workers.
Representatives of the Maryland Department of Labor, which houses MOSH, told members of the Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight on Wednesday that the law has allowed for gains in workplace safety. But they said the situation could be improved even more with more resources. “We were not given any additional enforcement resources to do additional public sector work as part of the [Davis Martinez] law,” said Christopher Williamson, assistant commissioner with MOSH, during a two-hour briefing on implementation of the law.
IN OTHER NEWS
State hires outside counsel for Moore defamation suit: The Board of Public Works Wednesday approved a $50,000 contract to hire an outside law firm to defend Gov. Wes Moore (D) against a defamation lawsuit filed by the owner of the Baltimore Sun.
Attacking the tuition attack: Immigration advocates and experts sounded the alarm on the Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to undo state laws, including laws in Maryland, that let some immigrants pay in-state college tuition in states where they live.
Pumping up ‘Trump accounts’: Every child in the U.S. with a valid Social Security number is now enrolled in a tax-advantaged investment account, a “Trump Account,” President Donald Trump said, and parents of about 8 million kids have opened accounts.
MATTERS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
New shipyard on Sparrows Point: President Donald Trump joined state and local leaders Tuesday to welcome a huge new shipyard that will bring billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs to Sparrows Point in Baltimore County.
Questions on Question 3: A proposed state constitutional amendment that would change the way Maryland draws congressional districts faces stiff voter opposition, a new poll shows, the latest sign of trouble for the ballot question backed by Democratic leaders.
Cox, Moore sparks at debate: Gov. Wes Moore (D) and his Republican challenger, Dan Cox, each presented their vision of a state under their leadership in a debate Tuesday that quickly showcased the expected lines of attack and the animosity between the two.
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