Thousands of Marylanders are discovering firsthand the dark side of 'The Next AI Trade,' in which power grids must be upgraded and expanded to handle increased load demand from AI data centers and other electrification trends. This expansion involves eminent domain and the destruction of farmland and forests.

Strict climate change rules from progressive lawmakers in Annapolis are some of the main drivers in the chaos unfolding across three counties in the blue state, as these rules discourage the development of new fossil fuel power plants, forcing power companies to expand transmission systems to import electricity from surrounding states versus building clean NatGas power generators with carbon capture systems near areas where AI data centers are being constructed. 

Pro-subs are all too familiar with our 'powering up America' theme dubbed the "The Next AI Trade." However, the situation playing out in Maryland has revealed a dark side to this theme, which we were the first to report last week in a note titled "Dark Side Of 'The Next AI Trade': Seizing Private Property For Transmission Lines." 

The evolving situation in Maryland involves a group called "Stop MPRP." MPRP stands for "Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project," which is a project that plans to upgrade the region's 500,000-volt transmission system that runs across three counties: Frederick, Baltimore, and Carroll. The upgrades will ensure enough power is imported from surrounding states to supply new AI data centers coming online in southern Frederick County. 

Stop MPRP has over 8,000 furious Marylanders who are quickly organizing to oppose the MPRP project because they say it's a massive "land grab that will not benefit our community while devastating businesses, farms, and property values." 

In recent weeks, hundreds of Marylanders, if not more, in all three counties have met with local government and power company officials to discuss the project - as many are concerned about plunging land values, destruction of farms and forests, and high risk of eminent domain.