Data Center Census Near me

Quantum Frederick

Adamstown, Frederick County, MD[6][9]Developer: Catellus Development[6][9]

Also known as Quantum Loophole, Frederick Digital Campus

Under constructionAligned's first building has been under construction since Feb. 2025; the county executive rejected the developer's DRRA on Sept. 14, 2026 and extended the pause on new data center approvals to July 1, 2027.
  1. Rumored
  2. Proposed
  3. Approved
  4. Under construction
  5. Operating

Quantum Frederick is a 2,100-acre hyperscale data center campus on the former Alcoa Eastalco Works site near Adamstown and Buckeystown. County economic development officials say it is planned for about 17.4 million sq ft and 2.4 GW. Original developer Quantum Loophole was removed as manager after a 2024 lawsuit, and TPG Real Estate Partners and Catellus took over. Aligned broke ground on a 72 MW building in February 2025. In September 2026, County Executive Jessica Fitzwater rejected a proposed development agreement that offered $110 million in community benefits in exchange for zoning protections.

Stated investment
$5 billion[3]
project value cited by Data Center Frontier
Site size
2,100 acres[1]

Key facts

Size & schedule

Planned capacity2.4 GW [2]
about 2.4 GW planned, per Frederick County economic development
Phase 1 capacity72 MW [4]
Aligned IAD-04 first building; Aligned's campus planned at 264 MW across 4 buildings on 75 acres
Site size2,100 acres [1]
Floor area17.4 million sq ft [2]
approximately, at full build-out
Stated investment$5 billion [3]
project value cited by Data Center Frontier

How big is that? Data center sizes compared with football fields and Central Park.

Power

Backup generatorsAligned Data Centers: 168 diesel emergency generators rated 3,000 kW each with SCR, plus four 1,000 kW generators [11]
Source excerpt
“One-hundred and sixty-eight (168) emergency generators, each equipped with a diesel fired engine rated at 3,000-kilowatts, and each controlled by a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system”
Air permitMDE permit-to-construct for Aligned's emergency generators issued effective Jan. 30, 2025 [11]
Source excerpt
“The Department has made a final determination to issue the permit-to-construct, effective January 30, 2025.”
Utility commission caseMaryland PSC Order No. 90830 (Mail Log No. 302893): Aligned's CPCN exemption request for backup generators; provisional authorization limited to 70 MW [12]
Source excerpt
“Subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Commission grants provisional authorization for Aligned to install diesel engine-generating capacity—not exceeding 70 MW—as emergency backup generation for its data center in Frederick, Maryland.”

Water

Water use1,300,000 gal [5]
WYPR: 'approved peak-flow water: 1.3 million gallons'; daily basis not explicit; switching planned from potable to effluent water for cooling
Water permitMDE Water Appropriation and Use Permits issued to Quantum Maryland: FR2023G001(03), FR2024S001(01) and FR2025G001(01) [13]
Source excerpt
“Quantum Maryland Permit Water Appropriation and Use Permit FR2025G001(01)”

Money & incentives

Tax incentivesProposed $110 million community benefits package in exchange for 8 years of zoning protection; rejected Sept. 2026 [6]

Local decisions & site

Parcel / addressAligned data center facility: 5601 Manor Woods Road, Frederick, MD 21703 [11]
Source excerpt
“The data center facility will be located at 5601 Manor Woods Road in Frederick, Maryland 21703 in Frederick County.”

Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.

Water and power

Water

Not disclosed. No source reviewed gives a water figure for this site. The Census does not estimate one.

Power

Planned capacity2.4 GW [2]
Phase 1 capacity72 MW [4]

Disclosed figures only, each as the cited source states it. Many are projections or permit limits, not metered use. How data center water and power use is measured, and every disclosed figure →

Timeline

  1. Maryland Commerce announces Quantum Loophole's plan for a 2,100-acre data center campus at the former Eastalco site [1]

  2. Maryland PSC grants Aligned provisional authorization for up to 70 MW of diesel backup generation, denying exemption for the full build-out [12]

  3. Maryland Department of the Environment rescinds a $130,000 settlement offer over fiber-ring construction violations and refers the matter to the Attorney General [7]

  4. TPG sues Quantum Loophole; settlement in Dec. 2024 removes Quantum Loophole as manager, and TPG/Catellus take over [3]

  5. MDE issues permit-to-construct for Aligned's emergency generators [11]

  6. Aligned breaks ground on a 72 MW data center within the campus [4]

  7. Maryland Supreme Court rules that a citizen referendum on the county's expanded data center zoning must stay off the ballot [8]

  8. County Executive signs order pausing new data center permits and approvals through the end of 2026 [8]

  9. County receives first draft of the community benefits agreement / DRRA [9]

  10. County Executive rejects the Frederick Digital Campus DRRA and extends the data center pause through July 1, 2027 [9]

Issues raised

  • Residents submitted hundreds of comments opposing the proposed development agreement as too restrictive on the county [5]
  • MDE documented bore mud discharges and wetland impacts from fiber-ring drilling between Aug. 2022 and Oct. 2023 [7]
  • More than 20,000 residents signed a petition to put the county's expanded data center zoning to a referendum; the Maryland Supreme Court kept it off the ballot [8]

Issues are concerns and claims raised by the parties, officials or residents named in the cited sources. They are reported as attributed, not as findings by the Census.

Sources

  1. Quantum Loophole plans to develop data center campus in Maryland
    Maryland Department of Commerce · Jun 28, 2021 · government
  2. Data Centers
    Frederick County Economic Development · government
  3. Circling Back: What Now for Quantum Loophole and the Quantum Frederick Data Center Campus?
    Data Center Frontier · Feb 3, 2025 · news
  4. Aligned breaks ground on 72MW Maryland data center in Quantum Frederick Park
    DatacenterDynamics · Feb 5, 2025 · news
  5. Frederick County elections could hinge on one issue - data centers
    WYPR · Sep 10, 2026 · news
  6. Frederick County rejects agreement with data center developer amidst public outcry
    WYPR · Sep 15, 2026 · news
  7. Maryland Environment Dept. Rescinds Quantum Loophole Settlement
    Inside Towers · Jul 19, 2024 · news
  8. Counties scramble to respond to data centers, setting moratoriums, a ban
    Maryland Matters · Aug 10, 2026 · news
  9. Data Centers
    Frederick County Government · government
  10. SUN: Frederick data center deal promises $110M. What does the developer get?
    Fox45 Baltimore / Baltimore Sun · Sep 3, 2026 · news
  11. Final Determination and Response to Comments, Aligned Data Centers (MD) Propco, LLC
    Maryland Department of the Environment · Jan 30, 2025 · government
  12. Order No. 90830, Aligned Data Centers (MD) Propco, LLC Request for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Exemption
    Maryland Public Service Commission · Oct 10, 2023 · government
  13. Frederick Data Center Sampling/Reports
    Maryland Department of the Environment · government

Cite this page

Last updated Sep 22, 2026. Figures may change as records are updated — include the date you retrieved them.

APAData Center Census. (2026). Quantum Frederick. Retrieved from https://datacentercensus.com/dc/quantum-frederick-md
MLA“Quantum Frederick.” Data Center Census, Sep 22, 2026, https://datacentercensus.com/dc/quantum-frederick-md.
Linkhttps://datacentercensus.com/dc/quantum-frederick-md

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