Technology powers our lives — from cloud computing and social media to artificial intelligence and e-commerce. But the tech industry’s explosive growth comes with a heavy cost: energy-hungry data centers, toxic e-waste, and a supply chain built on exploited labor and rare earth minerals that damage our environment.

If we want innovation to move us forward, not backward, we must make it sustainable, ethical, and accountable. I believe we can lead the world in technology and protect our planet at the same time.

That means:

• Powering data centers with clean energy — tying expansion to renewable and nuclear power, not fossil fuels.

• Cutting water waste through efficient cooling and recycling systems that protect local communities.

• Greening the tech supply chain by investing in alternatives to rare earth minerals and enforcing responsible sourcing standards.

• Tackling e-waste head-on with stronger recycling programs, right-to-repair laws, and incentives for durable product design.

• Ensuring equitable access to technology and broadband so rural and low-income communities aren’t left behind in the digital economy.

• Protecting consumers’ data privacy and stopping corporate surveillance by requiring transparency in how personal information is collected, used, and sold.

• Holding Big Tech accountable for its environmental footprint and ensuring transparency in energy use and emissions.

• Using technology to solve its own footprint — developing AI and data tools that improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

Maryland is uniquely positioned to lead this effort — home to cutting-edge research institutions, a skilled workforce, and the ingenuity to make technology sustainable and just.

Smarter technology should mean a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable future — one that strengthens communities instead of draining them. Innovation is only progress when it works for people and the planet.