AI Boom Sparks Backlash: NJ Communities Rush to Ban Energy-Hungry Data Centers

April 27, 2026 | nj1015.com

Public attention is still catching up to massive data centers being built in New Jersey, under deals made over the past several years.

In a rare, non-partisan wave, residents have criticized sprawling data centers already taking shape.

A 2.6 million-square-foot AI data center in Vineland grabbed attention statewide, once the humming of its generators went viral on social media.

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NJ SEED: NIMBY is alive and well in NJ. Data centers and battery storage units are needed in the state if it is to keep up with the emerging world of artificial intelligence (AI). Locating the facilities where the noise generated does not intrude on the public is challenging in a state that is the most densely populated. Solutions are not easy to find.