New Jersey residents oppose AI data centers near their homes
New Jersey residents are increasingly opposing AI data centers and other large developments near their homes. Residents in Union, Kenilworth, and Vineland have raised concerns about neighborhood impacts, including the proximity of a Kenilworth data center to Washington Elementary School.
Residents across New Jersey are voicing opposition to the growing number of AI data centers being developed near residential neighborhoods. Critics say the facilities create fewer jobs than warehouses and object to the broader AI systems they support, while also expressing concern about the effects of large-scale construction on local communities.
The article highlights Alex and Jianna Sawford of Union, who are concerned about a Kenilworth data center located less than a mile from Washington Elementary School. In Vineland, resident Amber Ayrer said a massive AI data center was built across the street from her home, changing what she had expected to be a permanent residence. Political scientist Daniel Cassino of Fairleigh Dickinson University said opposition is driven both by local development concerns and ideological resistance to AI.