NJ communities pushing back against AI data centers with mixed success
Communities in Andover and Kenilworth, New Jersey, are actively pushing back against proposed AI data centers. The Andover mayor has moved to ban future data centers after a contentious planning meeting, while a project in Kenilworth was approved despite a significant petition and concerns over energy and water use.
Communities across New Jersey are experiencing varied outcomes in their efforts to oppose the development of AI data centers. In Andover, a planning meeting regarding a proposed data center descended into chaos, prompting the mayor to announce plans to repeal the existing ordinance and ban any future data centers from being built, instructing the township attorney to draft the necessary ordinance.
Conversely, in Kenilworth, the planning board approved a $1.8 billion AI data center at 2000 Galloping Hill Road in May 2025. This project, which will be occupied by Livingston-based Coreweave, is projected to use as much energy as 200,000 homes. Coreweave reportedly purchased part of the property for $320 million and received a quarter-billion-dollar tax break, which residents were told was facilitated by the state legislature and former Governor Murphy's office.
Residents in Kenilworth expressed concerns beyond electricity and tax breaks, citing potential impacts on groundwater and electronic waste. Despite the Kenilworth mayor framing the project as a financial opportunity and renewal for the community, over 8,000 people have signed a petition to stop it, indicating ongoing opposition even after the project's approval.