New Jersey city spurns data center as defiance spreads

In New Brunswick, New Jersey, local residents successfully halted Amzak Capital Management's plan to build a data center on a vacant lot, galvanizing within nine days of learning about the project. Before a scheduled city council vote in mid-February, the council announced the data center component would be stripped from the redevelopment plan, a victory for the community and environmental groups like Climate Revolution Action Network and Food & Water Action. The opposition was fueled by concerns over the data center's energy consumption, environmental impact, and minimal job creation, particularly as the proposed site was in a working-class neighborhood. New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill acknowledged the national challenge communities face in integrating data centers locally, citing considerations like energy use and local benefits. This New Brunswick case has gained national traction, inspiring activists from across the United States. Following this successful pushback, a Quinnipiac University poll indicates 65 percent of Americans oppose data centers in their communities, and other cities like Chandler, Arizona, and College Station, Texas, have also rejected projects. The momentum is extending to state legislatures. Maine is reportedly considering becoming the first state to enact a moratorium on such facilities. In New Jersey, numerous bills to regulate data centers are under consideration, with local activists and prominent politicians advocating for a comprehensive statewide moratorium to allow for feasibility studies and a better understanding of local impacts before rapid development proceeds.