AWS cancelled plans for a Maryland data center, citing infrastructure priorities but amid growing community and political resistance.

Amazon Web Services has withdrawn its application for a proposed 2.5 million-square-foot data center project in Calvert County, Maryland. The company submitted its initial application on May 18 for a development adjacent to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay. The proposal called for three campuses across 200 acres, comprising eight data center buildings with up to 500 MW of capacity supplied by Constellation Energy, which operates the nuclear plant.

Calvert County confirmed the withdrawal on August 4. AWS attributed the decision to its broader infrastructure priorities. "After careful evaluation, Amazon has decided not to move forward with the proposed site development in Calvert County at this time," an AWS spokesperson said. "We regularly evaluate infrastructure opportunities based on a range of factors, including development timelines, operational requirements, and our ability to deliver quickly for customers."

The withdrawal comes amid growing opposition to large-scale data center development in the county and across the United States. In the June 23 primary election, three incumbent county commissioners who had previously opposed a pause on data center development lost their Republican primary races: Commission President Todd Ireland, Vice President Mark Cox, and Commissioner Earl Hance. The results marked a significant shift in the county's political landscape.

On the same day AWS' withdrawal was confirmed, the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners announced a public hearing for August 18 to consider a temporary six-month moratorium on data center site plan approvals. "The proposed ordinance would establish a temporary moratorium to allow the county time to review and consider zoning text amendments related to data centers and heavy industrial use conditions, as well as complete any necessary studies or analysis," a county spokesperson said.

Significant community resistance accompanied the project: a Change.org petition opposing the development attracted more than 10,000 signatures. Neither AWS nor Calvert County Government has publicly attributed the withdrawal to local opposition.

This decision reflects a broader wave of resistance to large-scale data center projects. In July, QTS withdrew its $30 billion Digital Gateway project in Prince William County, Virginia. According to Data Center Watch, 75 major data center projects representing more than $130 billion in investment have been delayed or canceled in the first three months of 2026, driven in part by organized local opposition. Dozens of US states and cities have enacted legislation to curb new projects, from New York to California.

AWS faces an additional setback in Maryland: a 12-month permit moratorium in Worcester County affects its proposed cable landing station in Ocean City.

Omdia analyst Alan Howard noted the timing was significant. "The timing is interesting that the AWS cancellation was announced the same day as a public hearing on data center moratorium by Calvert County scheduled for August 18th," he said. Howard sees the withdrawal as part of a broader industry shift. "The AWS Calvert County project is another sign of how data center operators will pivot to a strategy of cutting their losses and simply moving on. The time, effort, and investment are just not worth it; lessons learned the hard way."

The Calvert project's location next to a nuclear facility had been expected to mitigate power concerns—siting data centers near nuclear plants has increasingly been viewed as an attractive way to secure large amounts of power. However, Howard cautioned that access to power no longer eliminates political risks. "Siting next to a nuclear power plant has been viewed as a safe bet so far, but data center projects are now a bullseye in the game of politics, and I'm afraid we are in early innings. The data center industry is now faced with a perception problem that the nuclear industry has battled for decades. The problem is no longer solvable through simple PR, so site selection is a new game, and a compelling community engagement plan is now the first priority if there is a hint of available power."

According to Lee Feldman, senior advisor for local government strategy at Zencity, four factors drive community opposition: the unprecedented scale of hyperscale campuses, the speed at which developers pursue projects relative to local planning processes, a lack of transparency in some developments, and growing public concern about AI. These factors have pushed data centers beyond the regulatory and community frameworks that many local governments were originally designed to handle.

For developers, community engagement has become increasingly important in site selection and project planning. Bill Jabjiniak, senior vice president of national community and government relations at EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, argued that developers must build relationships with residents, local leaders, nonprofits and businesses before projects are proposed. "Trust is earned when data center projects align with local priorities. Residents want to understand how data centers will impact their neighborhoods after construction. Local leaders want to see long-term value. Businesses want growth that is responsible and sustainable. That level of transparency doesn't happen overnight."

AWS said it remains "deeply committed" to Maryland. "We have invested more than $20 billion in the state since 2010, supporting more than 23,000 employees and over 10,000 indirect jobs. We explore many potential locations, but we move forward only where the conditions support responsible development, community priorities, and lasting value. This decision does not change our long-term commitment to the state."