Cross-Political Protests Emerge Against Data Center Development, Highlighting Kenilworth, New Jersey Project
Residents in Kenilworth, New Jersey, participated in a cross-partisan "National Day of Action" protest against a CoreWeave AI data center project. The community expresses outrage over lack of consultation, perceived land seizure, water usage concerns, and state tax credits benefiting the developer. Despite ongoing protests, the project is under construction.
Residents of Kenilworth, New Jersey, joined a nationwide "National Day of Action" to protest against a CoreWeave AI data center project. The protest, organized by the right-wing nonprofit Humans First, targeted 120 construction projects across 37 states, with the Kenilworth demonstration highlighting local grievances against CoreWeave's $1.8 billion development.
The project, which includes three data centers on a 108-acre tract previously owned by Merck & Co., received a five-year, $250 million tax credit from the state. Community members, including local teenagers, were incensed by the lack of information and consultation regarding the massive facility, which is currently under construction on residential streets. Protesters raised concerns about water usage, electric bills, and a perceived exclusion from the democratic process.
Kenilworth Mayor Linda Karlovitch has attempted to reassure residents, asserting that the data center will provide significant property taxes and use a "closed-loop cooling system" with no water consumption. However, these claims are contested by activists who accuse the mayor of using "Silicon Valley talking points" and dismissing their concerns. The article notes the unusual cross-political nature of the protests, uniting individuals from various political backgrounds against what they view as corporate-political corruption.
Despite the ongoing opposition and protests, CoreWeave continues with construction. The company's CEO, Michael Intrator, stated his comfort with the project's direction amidst financial pressures and the broader AI industry's investment model.