GoKawiilDataOne Data Center in New Jersey Accused of Unpermitted Gas Turbines, LNG Tank
Residents and advocacy group Stand.earth allege that the DataOne data center in Vineland, New Jersey — tied to a $19.4 billion Nebius-Microsoft GPU deal — has been running dozens of unpermitted gas turbines and building an unpermitted 1.5-million-gallon LNG storage tank near two schools. Locals say they only learned the site was a data center after the Microsoft deal became public, and complaints about nighttime noise and air pollution led to a delayed town hall in January 2026, months after construction began.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The case highlights how the rapid buildout of AI infrastructure is outpacing local oversight, with communities left uninformed about massive energy and environmental impacts near their homes. It also raises questions about whether tech giants and their partners are sidestepping permitting processes to speed up capacity for AI compute demand, potentially exposing residents to health and safety risks.
- DataOne's Vineland site allegedly ran 62 unpermitted gas turbines, 45 active at once, near schools.
- Residents say they weren't told about the data center until the Nebius-Microsoft deal was announced.
- A town hall was held months late, with DataOne's CEO admitting community engagement should have started earlier.
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Published there as: “Microsoft-backed AI data center faces backlash over alleged unpermitted gas turbines and 1.5M-gallon LNG tank — groups' issues with $19.4B facility range from illegal construction to noise pollution”
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