GC Co-PI headlines Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference

Dr. James Archsmith, University of Maryland (UMD) assistant professor in Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC), recently spoke at the Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference, sponsored by the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI).

ALEI began in 2013 in response to a realization that Maryland’s farm families need more information about the laws that impact their operations. ALEI is comprised of legal specialists and other extension specialists who help farmers understand and comply with state, federal and local laws and regulations. ALEI’s resources help farmers identify legal risk and take action to protect the viability of their businesses. When Maryland’s farm families can understand and navigate laws that impact them, it benefits their operations, the agricultural food network, and the entire state.

Dr. Archsmith, also a Co-PI of the UMD Grand Challenge Impact award on “Sustainable and Ethical AI Infrastructure”, addressed the issue of “Eminent Domain and Farmland / Data Center Issues and Agricultural Preservation in Maryland”. He examined how Maryland counties are navigating the regulatory “Wild West” of data center siting while attempting to safeguard agricultural and environmental interests through local zoning and land-use policies. It further explores the intensifying legal battles over eminent domain as the state’s grid expands to meet the massive energy demands of the digital revolution alongside a statewide surge in residential electrification, from EVs to high-tech homes.

The Impact award team continues to share its work with the public and will engage policy makers in the state and beyond to help ensure a more ethical and sustainable infrastructure for AI and quantum data centers.