North Brunswick, East Brunswick and Stafford Township became the latest municipalities in New Jersey on Aug. 25 to ban data centers, with all three towns acting the same night as opposition to the facilities grows across the state.The Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), which has been organizing opposition to data centers in New Jersey, said the three towns became the 35th, 36th and 37th municipalities in New Jersey to ban the facilities.“North Brunswick, East Brunswick and Stafford Township banning data centers on ...
North Brunswick, East Brunswick and Stafford Township became the latest municipalities in New Jersey on Aug. 25 to ban data centers, with all three towns acting the same night as opposition to the facilities grows across the state.
The Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), which has been organizing opposition to data centers in New Jersey, said the three towns became the 35th, 36th and 37th municipalities in New Jersey to ban the facilities.
“North Brunswick, East Brunswick and Stafford Township banning data centers on the same night shows exactly how quickly this movement is spreading,” said Ben Dziobek, executive director of Climate Revolution Action Network. “Residents are seeing what is happening in other towns, talking to each other and demanding the same protections for their own communities. Every town that acts makes it easier for the next one to stand up to Big Tech, and that pressure is only going to keep growing until we win a full statewide moratorium to protect all New Jersey residents.”
In North Brunswick, the push grew out of community concern over the proposed redevelopment of the 87-acre property at 100 Fidelity Plaza. Residents mobilized, contacting elected officials, talking to neighbors and local businesses, and showing up to Township Council meetings to demand a say in what could be built in their community.
“As someone who cares about the environment, I don’t want data centers in our township for many of the same reasons stated by neighbors over the past few township council meetings and by neighbors across other New Jersey municipalities,” said Kristal Calkins, community watershed advocate and North Brunswick resident. “I am grateful to the mayor and township council for hearing residents and acting in a way that will benefit the community and the environment now and in the future.”
Residents worked alongside activists from Food & Water Watch New Jersey, The Watershed Institute, and CRAN, the Gen-Z climate advocacy organization leading the push to ban data centers in New Jersey.
Rural, suburban and urban communities are demanding protections from the electricity and water demands, pollution, infrastructure impacts, and limited permanent jobs associated with these facilities.
At least 225 moratoriums have been tracked across 30 states. Ohio leads with 35, followed by Michigan (34), Georgia (24), and North Carolina (19), according to the website electricchoice.com. Earlier this summer, New York became the first state in the country to impose a one-year moratorium on all data centers with a 50-megawatt capacity or greater.