Township moves forward with data center ban
Cherry Hill Township Council has unanimously approved on first reading an ordinance to ban large-scale AI data centers within the township, with a final vote pending. Mayor David Fleisher stated the ban is a proactive approach to protect neighborhoods and quality of life. The decision follows a report highlighting potential impacts on energy, water, and noise.
The Cherry Hill Township Council in New Jersey has unanimously approved on first reading an ordinance that would ban large-scale AI data centers, with Mayor David Fleisher emphasizing a proactive approach to protect neighborhoods. The proposed ban targets hyperscale facilities over 100,000 square feet used for AI, cloud storage, and subscription-based software, explicitly excluding accessory server rooms.
This decision follows a report by the township's planning consultant, Artheon, which outlined significant concerns regarding energy consumption, water usage, and noise. The report indicated that hyperscale data centers could use about 100 megawatts of power, equivalent to 100,000 households, and consume approximately 700 million gallons more water than 10,000 households. It also noted that over 56% of data center power in practice comes from fossil fuels and cited rising utility costs nationwide partly due to data center energy demands. The ordinance defines data centers to include various digital data processing and storage operations, adding them to the township's list of prohibited uses. The measure has been referred to the township planning board for a consistency review, and a final vote is scheduled for an upcoming council meeting.