A number of states have been early movers in the data center world, but several in the Northeast — while not yet major data center hubs — are laying the groundwork for a much bigger role. On top of that, a few states may turn out to be real surprises. There are also a handful of states intentionally shying away from the data center spotlight that could be wildcards. In today’s RBN blog, we examine the plans of several Northeastern states and how they could impact the region’s natural gas market.
After being in virtual limbo for the past couple of years, the Northeast gas market is reawakening, which we’ve detailed in several previous blogs and our latest Drill Down Report, Wake Me Up. Pipeline projects to expand connectivity between Appalachia and demand centers are moving forward for the first time in years, including into the previously off-limits New York/New Jersey and New England market areas. Regional flow dynamics are poised to shift as expansions debottleneck production and pathways out of the Appalachia producing region, deepening seasonal patterns.
The NATGAS Appalachia weekly report provides the data and insights to monitor the northeast natural gas market’s twists and turns and identify the risks and opportunities along the way, including tracking supply-demand trends, outbound capacity and their impact on takeaway pipeline utilization, and regional prices.
At the same time, structural changes, such as coal retirements and new data centers, are driving additional gas demand, and we’re already seeing more gas-related projects in areas where data centers are planned or under construction. In our most recent blog, we turned our attention to the states with already-giant data center footprints — including Virginia and Ohio — that receive gas from Appalachia and how pipeline developers are responding. Today’s blog shifts the focus to several states flying under the radar.
Let’s start with the area known as the Chesapeake-Delaware Corridor (green-shaded area in Figure 1 below) Maryland (medium-green area) is emerging as a key up‑and‑coming data center market, with spillover from Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley (see Sweet Virginia) combining with a growing roster of large campuses. Key operators include QTS Realty Trust, Digital Realty, COPT Data Center Solutions and Aligned Data Centers, the last of which is building a roughly 264-MW, four‑building campus in Frederick County (light-green area to right at bottom of Figure 1). Much of the momentum centers on the Quantum Loophole data center, a 2,100‑acre redevelopment of the former Alcoa Eastalco site that hosts Aligned’s Quantum Frederick campus and other hyperscale builds. Big projects like TeraWulf’s planned 1,000-MW Chesapeake Data campus in Charles County, Atmosphere’s 300-MW Dickerson Data Center in Montgomery County, and the 150-MW Security Land Baltimore project, along with existing footprints from Amazon and Meta, add up to multi-gigawatt sites. These could change Maryland from a niche market to a secondary data center hub. Policy‑wise, Maryland is still crafting rules around data-center growth. Some counties are developing data-center-specific frameworks after community pushback, and there is growing talk of more cohesive statewide oversight as power demand ramps up.
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About the song
“I Want More” was written by KALEO’s lead vocalist and guitarist, JJ Julius Son, and appears as the first song on Side C of KALEO’s third studio album, the double-LP Surface Songs. The song is about yearning for something more meaningful and reaching a deeper level of commitment. Released as a single in Iceland in January 2020, it reached #4 on the Icelandic singles chart. Personnel on the record were: JJ Julius Son (lead vocals, guitar), Daniel Kristjansson (bass), Rubin Pollock (lead guitar, backing vocals), Davio Antonsson (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and Gaukur Daviosson (harmonica, various instruments).
Surface Sounds is a double LP and the third studio album of KALEO. It was recorded at a variety of studios in North America, South America and Europe and produced by Julius Son and Dave Cobb. Son spent two years globe-hopping to write songs about trouble and redemption for the album, hoping that each new locale he recorded at would bring a fresh flavor to the record. The album was released in April 2021 and went to #102 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Five singles were released from the LP.
KALEO is a blues-rock band formed in Mosfellsbaer, Iceland, in 2012 by Julius Son, Dan Kristjansson, Davio Antonsson, Rubin Pollock and Gaukur Daviosson. (“KALEO” means “the voice” in Hawaiian.) In 2013, the band signed with Icelandic record label Sena and released their debut album. After successful performances at SXSW, the band relocated to Austin, TX, in 2015, and signed with Elektra Records in the U.S. They have released four studio albums and 17 singles. They have sold more than 1 million records worldwide. They released their latest album, Mixed Emotions, in May 2025. They continue to record and tour and are currently on their Way Down We Go/Mixed Emotions Tour in North America.
"About the Song" -- written by Mickey McMahan , RBN Director of Musicology
