Residents Protest Kenilworth Data Center As Lawmakers Look To Eliminate Ai Tax Credits
Residents in Kenilworth, New Jersey, are protesting a CoreWeave AI data center project, citing noise and environmental concerns, despite the planning board having approved the redevelopment last year. Concurrently, three state legislators have announced plans to introduce a bill to eliminate a New Jersey state tax credit for AI data centers, which the Kenilworth project benefited from.
Residents in Kenilworth, New Jersey, are actively protesting an AI data center project by CoreWeave, voicing noise and environmental concerns. Opponents rallied outside borough hall before a recent planning board meeting, despite the project's redevelopment having been approved by the board last year.
The $1.8 billion, 400,000-square-foot AI data center is being built at the Northeast Science and Technology Center after CoreWeave purchased a significant piece of land. Some residents claim they were not adequately notified about the project, leading to tense meetings amidst ongoing construction.
In a related development, New Jersey Assemblymen Andrew Macurdy and Balvir Singh, along with State Senator Joe Cryan, announced their intention to propose a bill to eliminate the state's AI data center tax credit. This credit, launched by former Governor Phil Murphy in 2024, reportedly provided $250 million to CoreWeave's Kenilworth project. The legislators propose reallocating the remaining $250 million from the program to reduce electric rates and invest in energy storage and solar initiatives.