A massive AI data center under construction in Vineland is causing major controversy across South Jersey. The project began construction last year, and many community members have expressed concern about the environment and what its impact on their lives.
This AI data center campus was developed by DataOne and backed by Amsterdam-based Nebius Group in Vineland, New Jersey. This is a $17.4 billion, five-year deal to provide dedicated computing power to Microsoft. The project is a 2.4 million-square feet facility, designed to reach 300 megawatts of electricity, serve AI, cloud computing, and Microsoft, using gas-fired power. Important to note that 300 megawatts is nearly double the current power usage of the entire city of Vineland.
In June of 2025, New Jersey legislature passed a bill requiring data centers to report energy and water use to the Board of Public Utilities each quarter, but the bill was vetoed in October by Governor Murphy. There are currently around eighty other data centers in the state.
Approval of the data center in Vineland has caused immense amounts of friction among local residents over the environmental “cost” of the AI boom. On January 21, 2026, a heated town hall at the Landis Theater took place, where residents expressed their concerns over what an AI plant means for the environment.
DataOne CEO Charles-Antoine Beyney told the audience that the facility would operate differently from traditional data centers. Beyney told the crowd that data centers, “…consume water, they pollute, they are extremely not efficient. This is clearly not what we are building here.” He eased some concerns, however, initial reports state that the facility could require 1.1 million gallons of water annually for cooling.
Another concern has been that this data plant will disrupt residential neighborhoods, seeing as there will be a constant hum due to the cooling fans required to keep the thousands of GPUs from melting.
For Rutgers-Camden students, the data center will inevitably create a number of construction jobs, and may have a long-term impact on tech employment for graduates in the South Jersey region. Students who study environmental sciences, can consider the Vineland site a living lab. The facility uses “behind-the-meter” gas generators and air-cooling as opposed to water-intensive liquid cooling. This would offer a specific field for students studying sustainable technology.
To keep up with developments surrounding the data center, information can be found through the Vineland city council and Vineland town hall meetings as well as press releases from Nebius.
Read more on gleaner.rutgers.edu
