GoKawiilA massive new AI data center in Vineland, New Jersey, is facing growing backlash from residents who say the project's nonstop noise and enormous energy demands are making everyday life harder at a time when many families are already struggling with high utility bills. For neighbors worried about paying for basics like running appliances and doing laundry, the arrival of another power-hungry tech facility has become a flashpoint in a much larger debate over who benefits from the AI boom — and who is left to bear the costs.
What's happening?
According to a report from New Jersey 101.5, the 2.6 million-square-foot South Jersey data center is coming online in stages, and critics say many nearby residents did not grasp how large it was until construction was already in motion.
The Vineland facility could eventually reach 300 megawatts of power capacity, and nearby residents describe a nonstop industrial hum around the clock, spurring noise complaints and a widely shared social media video.
Residents in Cumberland County, New Jersey say they can't even wash their clothes or drink their tap water because of the new META Data Centers
- On resident messed up an entire load of white clothes because it came out stained because of the brown water
- Multiple residents say… pic.twitter.com/wwuykL9Q5Z — Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 9, 2026
The video highlights several local complaints, including one account from a resident who says an entire load of white laundry was stained brown due to water issues following the construction of the data centers.
New Jersey 101.5 reports that the project is tied to a multibillion-dollar AI arrangement involving Microsoft and would rely primarily on on-site natural gas engines.
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