NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ: In what local activists are hailing as a “David vs. Goliath” victory for community sovereignty over corporate expansion, the New Brunswick City Council has voted unanimously to scrap plans for a massive artificial intelligence data centre. The decision, which came after a wave of intense public pressure, marks a significant turning point in the burgeoning national conflict in America between the “Manhattan Project” of AI development and the residents who have to live next door to it.

On Wednesday evening, the council voted to amend a long-standing redevelopment plan for the site at 100 Jersey Avenue. The amendment removes data centres as a permitted use for the land, effectively reinstating original plans for a public park. The reversal took just nine days from the moment city officials first revealed that a developer was eyeing the 27,000-square-foot facility, a testament to the speed and ferocity of local opposition.

The Scene at City Hall: “The People United”

The atmosphere inside the New Brunswick City Hall was electric. Hundreds of residents packed the chambers, their concerns ranging from environmental degradation to the fear of their utility bills spiralling out of control. When the unanimous vote was announced, the room erupted.

“Many people did not want this in their neighbourhood,” stated Bruce Morgan, president of the New Brunswick NAACP, during the meeting. “We don’t want these kinds of centres that are going to take resources from the community.”

Outside, the celebration took on a more defiant tone. Local organiser Ben Dziobek addressed a jubilant crowd, shouting: “We say a big ‘f*** you’ to Big Tech! We say a big ‘f*** you’ to private equity! And it’s time to build communities, not data centres.”

For many, the victory was about more than just a single building; it was a rejection of an “extractive” economic model where global corporations consume local resources while offering little in return. The site is now slated to include 600 new apartments—though only 10% are designated as affordable housing—alongside warehouses for startups and the promised park.

The “Thirsty” Reality: Why Data Centres are Under Fire

The protest in New Jersey is not an isolated incident. Across the United States, data centres—the physical hardware behind “the cloud”—are facing a bipartisan backlash. While these facilities are essential for the 21st-century economy, their physical footprint is increasingly seen as a threat to human health and local stability.

1. Resource Depletion and Utility Hikes

The primary driver of the New Brunswick protest was the fear of resource scarcity. Data centres are notoriously “thirsty” and “hungry” for power and water.

Water Scarcity: To prevent servers from overheating, data centres require millions of gallons of water daily. A single

facility can consume up to 5 million gallons a day—enough to supply thousands of households. In “water-stressed” areas, this puts the tech industry in direct competition with residents and farmers.

Power Grid Strain: The electricity demand of these facilities is staggering. According to a 2024 Department of Energy analysis, data centres consume 10 to 50 times as much energy per square foot as a standard office building. In 13 Midwest states, fast-tracked data centre development is projected to cost ratepayers as much as $9.4 billion starting this year, as utility companies pass on the costs of grid upgrades to the public.

2. The Noise and the Heat

Living near a data centre has been described by residents as living next to a “constant, 24/7 industrial engine.” The cooling fans and backup generators produce a low-frequency hum that can reach 96 decibels—comparable to a lawnmower running permanently outside one’s window. Studies suggest this chronic noise leads to sleep deprivation, heightened stress levels, and even cardiovascular issues.

Furthermore, the “Heat Island” effect is a growing concern. Data centres vent massive amounts of hot air into the atmosphere. This can raise local temperatures, making summers more oppressive for neighbours and driving up their own air conditioning costs.

3. The Economic “Hollow-Out”

Perhaps the most stinging criticism is the lack of long-term jobs. Despite their massive size and billion-dollar price tags, data centres are largely automated. Once construction is complete, a facility might employ only a few dozen technicians and security guards. Critics often point to “empty car parks” as evidence of the industry’s failure to provide meaningful local employment.

Furthermore, private equity firms frequently negotiate decades-long tax breaks, meaning residents end up subsidising the very infrastructure—roads and power lines—that the data centre consumes.

A National “Manhattan Project”

The clash in New Jersey comes at a time when the US federal government views data centre expansion as a matter of national security. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has described the build-out as the “next Manhattan Project,” essential for winning the artificial intelligence race against China.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum recently called the need for a larger electric grid an “existential threat,” ranking it alongside Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The United States already hosts approximately half of the planet’s data centres, with reported numbers ranging from 2,400 to over 5,000 depending on the registry used.

By 2028, the projected energy demand for these facilities is expected to triple. This “building spree” has seen developers move from primary markets like Northern Virginia—known as “Data Center Alley”—into “tertiary” markets in states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Indiana, where land is cheaper and local governments are often less experienced in negotiating with tech giants.

The Rise of the “Anti-Server” Movement

However, as the industry expands, so does the resistance. Data Center Watch, a research firm tracking this trend, reported that between March 2023 and March 2025, at least 142 local groups across 28 states organised to block or delay $64 billion worth of data centre projects.

Interestingly, this resistance is crossing traditional political lines. In rural Texas, bright-red Republican county chairs are joining forces with environmental activists to protect their water tables from “hyperscalers” like Meta, AWS, and Microsoft.

“This is absolutely across-the-aisle stuff,” says Kamil Cook, an associate with Public Citizen Texas. “People in these communities want to maintain control over resources and development.”

A recent survey found that while 93% of Americans believe AI data centres are vital to the country’s future, only 35% would vote “yes” to having one in their own town.

Statistics: The Impact by the Numbers

To understand the scale of the “ill effects” residents are fighting, one must look at the concrete data provided by analysts and government agencies:

The Question of Transparency

In New Brunswick, much of the anger stemmed from how the project was introduced. Residents often complain that local governments are “seduced” by developers offering tax incentives, with many deals shielded by Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). This lack of transparency fosters a culture of suspicion, where communities feel they are being sold out behind closed doors.

Anne Norris, a New Brunswick resident whose children attended the local public school system, pointed out the disparity between the wealth of “Big Tech” and the reality of the local population. “We didn’t pay for lunch because we have so many families under the poverty line,” she said, arguing that the promised 10% affordable housing at the site was insufficient given the town’s economic status.

Industry Pushback: Is it “Standard Land-Use Angst”?

The data centre industry, represented by groups like the Data Center Coalition, argues that many of these concerns are “misconceptions.” They point to newer “Data Center 2.0” technologies that use “closed-loop” cooling systems, which recycle water rather than consuming it.

Jon Hukill, the coalition’s communications director, argues that data centres are “quieter than many common sounds” and that they support millions of indirect jobs in the wider economy. “The data centre industry is not monolithic,” he stated, noting that many companies are now seeking to build their own electric generators or “co-locate” on retired power plant sites to avoid straining the public grid.

The cancellation in New Brunswick suggests that the industry’s “misconception” argument is failing to win over the public. As the demand for AI grows, the physical reality of the hardware required to run it is coming into sharp conflict with the fundamental needs of human communities: quiet streets, affordable utilities, and public green spaces.

The victory for the New Brunswick NAACP and local organisers like Ben Dziobek serves as a blueprint for other towns. It proves that when the “extractive” nature of Big Tech meets a “united people,” the servers can be swapped for swingsets.