New Jersey Data Center to Use On-Site Fossil Power Over Aquifer
DataOne is constructing a 350-megawatt AI data center in Vineland, New Jersey, for Nebius Group, which will generate its own power using natural gas fuel cells. The project is located directly over the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer and has sparked significant community and environmental opposition due to concerns about noise, emissions, water usage, and impacts on local agriculture. Governor Mikie Sherrill has proposed a statewide regulatory framework for data centers but declined to enact a moratorium on new construction.
DataOne is developing a 350-megawatt, 2.6 million-square-foot hyperscale AI facility in Vineland, New Jersey, for Nebius Group, a project valued at $17 billion with Microsoft. This large industrial development is being built directly over the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer, a crucial drinking water source for over a million people, and within a designated Wellhead Protection Area. Despite initial plans for natural gas reciprocating engines, community pressure led to a shift towards modular solid oxide fuel cells from Bloom Energy for on-site power generation, though the facility will still run on natural gas.
Local residents and over 60 environmental and community groups have expressed strong opposition, citing concerns about continuous low-frequency noise, potential impacts on property values, emissions, and the strain on the shallow aquifer. The article draws parallels to experiences in rural Texas, where data center construction has been linked to livestock health issues and a decline in bee populations, raising fears for New Jersey's $340 million fruit and vegetable industry, which heavily relies on insect pollination.
In response to the rapid data center expansion, Governor Mikie Sherrill unveiled a four-pillar framework aimed at regulating data centers statewide. The framework mandates that data centers pay their fair share, operate transparently with bi-annual reporting on energy and water consumption, invest in communities through negotiated benefits agreements, and create good jobs with prevailing wage requirements. However, Governor Sherrill declined the call from environmental groups for a temporary construction moratorium, opting for regulation instead, which raises questions about its efficacy on projects like Vineland's that are already underway.
Critics argue that while the regulatory framework is a step forward, it may not address the immediate concerns for existing or permitted projects, particularly the Vineland facility's impact on a densely populated agricultural region. The debate highlights New Jersey's unique challenges as the densest state in the nation, contrasting its limited buffer land with the vast open spaces available in states like Texas.