The penalty imposed on DataOne in Vineland highlights the downside of on-site electricity generation by AI data centres: air pollution and noise affecting local residents.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced on Sept. 22 a $1.07 million penalty against DataOne, which operated 62 natural gas generators without the required air emissions permits at its Vineland site. The operator disputes the authority's analysis, but has pledged to file permit applications and cooperate.
When the data center becomes a power plant
The case highlights a fundamental trend: due to a lack of sufficient capacity on the grid, more and more data centers dedicated to AI are producing their own electricity "behind the meter", often from fossil fuels. This brings sources of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter closer to homes, not to mention the continuous noise of installations.
Forrester analyst Abhijit Sunil said the sites now operate as much as power plants as IT facilities, and their deployment is faster than permitting procedures. He recommends site-by-site transparency — equipment, fuel capacity, permit status, hours of operation, local pollutants — and points out that failure to permit could lead to a court-ordered shutdown.
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