Page 3 – Conduit Street

States Explore Relaxing Building Codes to Help Housing Affordability

As housing affordability continues to be a national issue, states are export how certain building may be relaxed in the name of affordability. States and local governments are increasingly looking at building and fire code changes as one way to lower construction costs and make smaller multifamily projects more feasible. Some of the most debated proposals involve allowing certain apartment buildings to be built with a single stairway, easing elevator requirements, pausing code update cycles,…

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June 30, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Summer Conference / Transportation and Public Works

Data Centers in Maryland: Opportunity, Pressure, and Policy

Data centers are a growing and complex issues, policymakers need to make decisions about balancing energy, growth, and environmental concerns. Regulating data centers presents a difficult balancing act for counties. While these facilities can bring significant investment and economic development opportunities, they also raise complex local concerns around energy demand, infrastructure capacity, environmental impacts, and community compatibility. Counties are often on the front lines of managing these impacts, but many of the key decisions are…

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June 29, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Judge Quashes Frederick Data Center Referendum Petition

A state judge ruled against a petition seeking to put Frederick County's data center ordinance to a referendum. Last week, a state judge ruled against a petition seeking to put Frederick County’s newly enacted data center ordinance before voters in a public referendum. The dispute centers on broader concerns about data center development and its potential impacts on the surrounding community. County officials spent months studying data center growth nationally, with particular attention to neighboring…

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June 24, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Maryland Lawmakers: Don’t Stick Ratepayers with Data Center Costs

A bipartisan group of state legislators is urging FERC to not stick Maryland ratepayers with infrastructure costs associated with out-of-state data centers. Last week, a bipartisan group of 80 State Senators and Delegates sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission urging federal regulators to reject efforts to saddle Maryland ratepayers with billions of dollars in out-of-state infrastructure costs. Transmission projects tied to data center development and already approved by federal regulators are projected…

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June 22, 2026

Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning

HUD Opens Grants for Automated Permits to Boost Housing Construction

HUD is awarding grants for counties looking to implement automated permitting as part of their housing strategy. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has opened a new funding opportunity offering grants between $300,000 and $1,500,000 for jurisdictions that will deploy automated building code permitting systems and partner with HUD to evaluate their applicability and effectiveness within real-world operating conditions. Applications are due July 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT. The Automated Permitting…

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June 16, 2026

Energy / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Feds Greenlight PJM’s Fast-Track for Large Projects

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the PJM's fast-track process, paving the way for faster approvals for certain projects. Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved PJM Interconnection’s request to create a new Expedited Interconnection Track (EIT). The temporary process is meant to help move large energy projects through the interconnection queue more quickly. Under the new track, PJM may consider up to 10 projects per year. To qualify, projects must provide at…

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June 15, 2026

Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Maryland Ranks High on Transit Access, But More Work Remains

Maryland performs well in a new national transit access ranking, but the data highlights ongoing challenges around housing growth and transportation investment. A new national analysis from the Urban Institute highlights how limited access to reliable public transit remains across much of the country. While many homes are located near some form of bus or rail service, far fewer are close to frequent, dependable public transit that residents can realistically use for daily travel. For…

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June 9, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Defunct Maryland Coal Plant to Receive Major Federal Investment

As part of a broader push by federal leaders to encourage coal use, a defunct western Maryland plant is slated for major federal investment. As energy continues to be a central issue for policymakers at all levels of government, strategies for addressing affordability, reliability, and generation needs are diverging significantly between the state and federal levels. Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced a $700 million investment in coal infrastructure nationwide. The largest share, approximately…

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June 9, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Data Center Growth Gets New Guardrails in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s new data center standards may offer Maryland a useful model for balancing multiple goals. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is adding new guardrails around data center development as states confront the fast-growing demand for AI infrastructure. The state's new standards aim to balance economic development with concerns over energy costs, grid reliability, water use, environmental impacts, workforce needs, and local community input. Developers seeking state support would be expected to show how their projects address…

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June 2, 2026

Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning

Pew: Preapproved Plans Can Cut Red Tape and Support More Housing

Pew report shows Reapproved Building Plans may be a boon for increasing housing production. As communities look for ways to move housing projects faster and make the numbers work, a new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts points to one tool gaining traction: preapproved building plans. The idea is fairly simple. A local government makes already-reviewed designs available for common housing types such as accessory dwelling units, duplexes, cottages, townhomes, or small multifamily buildings. Builders…

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June 1, 2026