NJ data center polluted for a year before regulators stepped in

A data center in Vineland, New Jersey, ran 62 gas-fired generators for nearly a year without the required permits, according to public records reviewed by Floodlight. The generators, linked to Microsoft through operator DataOne, started arriving in July 2025 and were all running by June 2026, racking up more than 46,000 hours of operation before state regulators caught on in late July. New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection fined the company $1 million but did not say how much pollution the generators released.

Outside experts estimate the generators emitted about 140 tons of NOx, a group of gases linked to asthma, heart attacks, and premature death. That would rank DataOne among the state's top five NOx polluters of 2025. At full capacity, experts say, the fleet could emit more than 1,500 tons a year — nearly twice what New Jersey's largest power-plant polluter is allowed to release, and enough to require a strict "major source" permit with environmental review before construction, which never happened here.

Nearby residents reported more than 100 noise complaints since March, many naming the generators, and local officials appear to have known about them well before state regulators acted. DataOne says it is moving to fuel cells as a permanent power source and plans to apply for permits now. The state is giving the company 45 days to get permits or stop running the generators, meaning they can keep operating in the meantime. This story is about industrial pollution oversight, not a home energy program, but it shows how data center growth is raising air-quality concerns in nearby communities.