The biggest AI data center planned for New Jersey is already being accused of breaking federal air pollution rules before it opens.
Here's what to know
As Latitude Media reported, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that the partially constructed DataOne Campus "has issued no permits, nor are any permit applications under review for power generators at the DataOne facility in Vineland."
Yet Floodlight's drone footage and records analysis indicated that 45 of the site's 62 gas generators appeared to be operating.
Bruce Buckheit, a former EPA air enforcement chief, told Floodlight the project appears to "violate federal law." He added that DataOne should stop operating the generators and be fined for "their illegal emissions."
The development is located roughly 40 miles from Philadelphia and sits about a mile from two schools. Under a $17 billion agreement with Dutch AI infrastructure company Nebius, the site is expected to supply AI for Microsoft.
More background
Since construction began in 2025, DataOne has faced opposition tied to zoning fights, allegations of unpermitted building activity, and repeated noise complaints.
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Andrew and Stevi Groetsch, who live less than a mile from the site, said the steady hum has affected both their sleep and their family's day-to-day life. "It's just constant. It never goes away," Andrew told Floodlight.
Across the U.S., the expansion of AI is pushing electricity demand higher, and some data-center developers are pursuing on-site power rather than waiting to connect to the grid. Floodlight, citing energy analytics firm Cleanview, said almost 60 data centers nationwide plan to build their own gas plants.
AI could help optimize electric grids, improve wind and solar forecasting, and support cleaner, more efficient infrastructure.
At the same time, AI facilities can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, increase pollution when fossil fuels are used, raise energy costs for nearby communities, and deepen concerns about security, misuse, and unintended social impacts. Air pollution from large gas generators has been associated with asthma, heart attacks, and premature death.
What's being done?
After a July 29 inspection, state regulators said they still had not reached "a full compliance determination." If they decide the generators were used unlawfully, Buckheit told Floodlight, "one might be seeing administrative enforcement action."
When asked about the generators, DataOne did not answer directly, though it said it "remains committed to meeting all applicable environmental and permitting requirements." Nebius did not respond to requests for comment, and Microsoft declined to comment.
DataOne had sought approval for more than 30 gas-burning engines, but regulators in New Jersey flagged multiple problems with that filing. The company withdrew the application and now says it intends to use Bloom fuel cells capable of producing 300 megawatts.
Because they generate electricity without combustion, those fuel cells would probably emit less air pollution harmful to health than the earlier engine proposal. Even so, a Bloom representative testified that the full build-out could release more than 2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
"If you don't follow one rule, what makes us have any reason to believe that you would then follow others?" Stevi Groetsch asked. "It's so upsetting."
Where can I learn more?
AI infrastructure strains power systems and will affect residents of New Jersey and anywhere else around the world where these facilities are being built. The articles here add context on why developers are turning to on-site generation — and why communities and regulators are taking a harder look at the pollution, costs, and resource demands that come with it.
• In New Jersey, AI data centers could push electric bills up another 20 percent.
• Nationwide, AI facilities now devour 6% of U.S. electricity as demand surges.
• Big Tech's AI boom is outrunning the power grid as infrastructure spending soars.
• Public anger is growing as AI's water and electricity use fuels wider backlash.
• At MIT, researchers show AI can optimize renewable power grids instead of burdening them.
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