Millville bans data centers, rejecting largest proposed facility in N.J.
Millville Commissioners in New Jersey voted to ban data centers, effectively blocking a proposed 2.6 million square-foot facility. This decision follows significant opposition from groups like the Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), who raised concerns about massive electricity and water consumption and rising utility bills. State legislators are also addressing data center impacts through proposed reporting requirements.
The Millville Commissioners in New Jersey have voted to ban data centers in the city, preventing the construction of a proposed 2.6 million square-foot facility that would have been the largest data center project ever blocked in the state.
Opposition to the project was spearheaded by the Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), which cited concerns about the data center's potential to draw 1.4 gigawatts of electricity and use billions of gallons of water annually. CRAN Ecology Director Kayleigh Henry highlighted the successful coalition of local residents and farmers in stopping "Big Tech" from impacting their community. Opponents argue that such facilities contribute to increased utility bills for residents to power AI tools.
A recent Stockton University poll indicated that a majority of New Jersey voters are concerned about the proliferation of artificial intelligence data centers, with 56% supporting bans in their own communities. New Jersey state legislators are also responding to these concerns; the state Senate passed legislation in March, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Raj Mukherji, that would mandate data center operators submit biannual water and energy usage reports to the Board of Public Utilities.
The article also notes similar movements elsewhere, including Port Washington, Wisconsin, passing the nation's first anti-data center referendum, and Maine becoming the first state to pass a statewide moratorium on large data centers through both legislative chambers.