60+ N.J. groups urge Sherrill to pause AI data center construction
60+ N.J. groups urge Sherrill to pause AI data center construction
Publish Date: 2026-05-17 06:31:00
Source Domain: www.nj.com
- A coalition of over 60 New Jersey environmental, labor, and community organizations is urging the state to halt the approval and construction of large-scale data centers, worrying that unchecked growth could lead to “irreversible harm” to communities.
- The organizations are particularly concerned about data centers using at least 20 megawatts of electricity, which they argue could drive up electric rates and have negative environmental impacts.
- Signatory groups include the Pinelands Alliance, the ACLU, the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, and NY/NJ Baykeeper, among others.
- The coalition also plans to deliver a petition signed by thousands of residents that supports a temporary pause in data center construction.
- Several towns in New Jersey have already passed local bans or restrictions on future data center construction due to local opposition.
- New Jersey lawmakers are considering at least five bills that would impose new restrictions on large-scale data centers regarding energy rates, water use, and corporate confidentiality agreements.
- Despite the growing opposition, data centers have been credited with supporting jobs and contributing significantly to the state’s economy, according to the Data Center Coalition.
- The state has actively promoted the AI data center industry, offering tax incentives and recently awarding $250 million in tax credits to a cloud computing company for building a new data center.
