‘Nobody Here Asked For This’: Protestors Rally Against South Brunswick Data Center

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — More than 150 people packed Christ Congregation in Princeton on Friday to push back against a 341,000-square-foot AI data center going up on Route 1 in South Brunswick. The town hall came three days before the state’s deadline for public comment on the project’s air permit.

Residents from South Brunswick, Princeton, Franklin and other nearby towns attended. Advocates were on hand to help them file comments with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Sentinel Data Centers, the developer, has applied to the DEP for an air permit to run 12 diesel generators at the site, which is on the former Princeton Nurseries property. Organizers said 20 generators are planned in total once the facility is fully running.

The public comment period closes Monday.

“A lot of people are still in shock that their local officials could approve something like this. They’re mad, and they’re ready to fight back. No one wants to breathe in toxic fumes from a data center,” said Ben Dziobek, executive director of Climate Revolution Action Network.

“Nobody here asked for this facility, and nobody here is going to benefit from it,” Dziobek said. “If Governor Mikie Sherrill and Commissioner Ed Potosnak approve these diesel generators, they’re going to do it over the objections of thousands of people who will have to live with the consequences.”

Charlie Kratovil, senior organizer at Food & Water Watch New Jersey, called on the state to reject the application.

“The Bloomberg data center’s application for permission to pollute using a dozen dirty diesel generators is an immediate threat to our air, water, and climate,” Kratovil said. “We need Governor Sherrill to protect New Jersey by denying this permit and issuing a strong moratorium on data center construction.”

Steven Donziger, an environmental and human rights attorney, talked about possible legal challenges to the project.

“I’ve spent decades taking on some of the most powerful corporations in the world, and one thing I’ve learned is that no corporation is above the law,” Donziger said. “Bloomberg and Sentinel Data Centers should not be allowed to put corporate profits ahead of the health and safety of New Jersey families. Residents have every right to challenge this project, demand accountability, and pursue every legal avenue available to protect their communities.”

The DEP held a public hearing on Sentinel’s application in late September. The department later extended the comment period after state Sen. Andrew Zwicker asked for more time for residents to weigh in.

The final decision rests with DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak. Before Sherrill appointed him to lead the department, Potosnak served on the Franklin Township Council and led the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.

The project has drawn opposition from residents, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th District, and Rep.-elect Adam Hamawy, D-12th District. The Princeton Mayor and Council and students at Princeton University have also come out against it.

High school and college students planned a protest for 1 p.m. Saturday, outside the South Brunswick Municipal Building at 540 Ridge Road, less than 24 hours after the town hall.

Climate Revolution Action Network organized the protest with the South Brunswick High School Democrats, New Jersey High School Democrats, Union County High School Democrats, College Democrats of New Jersey and TCNJ Democrats.

Residents who want to comment before Monday’s deadline can use Climate Revolution Action Network’s template letter at climaterevolutionnj.org/sbdc.