A growing coalition of New Jersey residents, environmental advocates, and community organizations has had enough. More than 60 groups are now calling on Governor Mikie Sherrill to impose an immediate moratorium on large-scale AI data centers—and the movement shows no signs of slowing down.
In a letter submitted Thursday, the coalition urged Sherrill to use emergency powers to temporarily halt approvals and construction of new data centers consuming at least 20 megawatts of electricity. This would give state officials time to study the long-term impacts before construction resumes. A petition supporting the pause has nearly reached 7,500 signatures.
“A moratorium is needed to protect the environment and the health and well-being of New Jersey residents,” the letter reads.
The signatories include the Pinelands Alliance, the ACLU, the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, Food & Water Watch, and The Nature Conservancy, among others.
What’s Driving the Pushback
The concerns surrounding data centers are wide-ranging.
Environmental groups warn that large-scale data centers—which can consume as much electricity as tens of thousands of homes and use millions of gallons of water to cool their systems—are straining New Jersey’s power grid, driving up electric rates, and threatening water supply.
The letter notes that a 20-megawatt data center uses as much electricity as all of the homes in Montclair, combined.
Cooling systems at some facilities have also raised alarms over PFAS contamination—so-called “forever chemicals” linked to cancer, liver and kidney disease, and birth defects. New Jersey began to tackle PFAS earlier this year.
A poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 65% of registered New Jersey voters support banning new data centers until more power plants can be built.
Towns Are Already Acting
Several New Jersey municipalities took matters into their own hands. Monroe Township in Gloucester County, Andover Township in Sussex County, Pemberton, and North Hanover are among the communities that have passed or are pursuing local bans after residents protested proposed zoning changes.
In Vineland, one of the largest AI data centers on the East Coast is already under construction—a 2.6-million-square-foot facility tied to a $17 billion agreement with Microsoft. Residents living nearby have complained about noise pollution—including a constant humming sound—in relation to the project.
As we’ve previously reported, New Jersey is home to approximately 80 data center facilities. Demand is expected to rapidly increase with the growth of AI. Some metrics predict U.S. data center capacity tripling by 2030.
At least five bills are currently making their way through the state Legislature that would place restrictions on large-scale data centers. Whether Sherrill acts on the moratorium request remains to be seen. With 7,500 petition signatures and more than 60 groups pushing back, the political pressure is mounting.