South Brunswick Data Center's 12 Diesel Generators Spark Princeton Pushback
Sentinel Data Centers is seeking New Jersey approval to operate 12 diesel backup generators at its 341,000-square-foot data center in South Brunswick near Princeton. Princeton officials, residents and environmental advocates oppose the draft air permit, citing emissions, fuel storage and concerns that the facility could qualify as a major pollution source.
Sentinel Data Centers is developing a 341,000-square-foot facility at 4405 Route 1 in South Brunswick, near Princeton and Kingston. The company is seeking a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection air permit for 12 diesel emergency generators, while critics say the site may ultimately contain 20 generators and that the proposed permit understates potential emissions. Construction is expected to finish by the end of 2026, and South Brunswick approved the project in May 2025.
Princeton Mayor and Council, residents and Princeton University professor Kirstin Valdez Quade are among those urging NJDEP to deny or revise the permit. Opponents cite nearby schools, homes, wildlife areas and the planned storage of roughly 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel, while requesting that the facility be treated as a major pollution source. A September public hearing drew about 100 attendees, and the written-comment deadline was extended to Nov. 9, 2026; NJDEP has not announced a final decision date.
The debate has also fueled broader calls for a statewide data center moratorium. Food & Water Watch held a rally, and proposed New Jersey legislation would study data centers' environmental and infrastructure impacts while temporarily halting new construction. The article also references NJDEP enforcement against DataOne in Vineland over allegedly unpermitted generators as an example cited by opponents.