30 South Jersey Towns Part of New Jersey’s Unique Data Center Story
New Jersey has more municipalities with data center bans and restrictions than any other state, driven by concerns over electricity demand, utility costs, water consumption and environmental impacts. The article identifies 30 South Jersey communities with existing restrictions or bans, while additional municipalities consider similar measures.
New Jersey has become the leading state for municipal data center bans and restrictions, with more than 110 municipalities adopting or considering measures affecting future facilities. The article links the restrictions to rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence and cloud data centers, as well as concerns that utility infrastructure costs are being passed on to residential customers.
It also highlights concerns about the billions of gallons of water used for data center cooling and the potential effects on farms and water supplies during drought-like conditions. The listed South Jersey communities span Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, including Cherry Hill, Glassboro, Millville and Woodstown.