Protesters Greet Sherrill At South Brunswick Data Center Bill Signing

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed legislation Thursday requiring greater transparency around data centers' energy and water use, as dozens of residents and activists gathered outside the South Brunswick Library calling for a statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers.

Activists chanted outside the library as Sherrill and state and local elected officials arrived for the signing of S3379/A4096, according to organizers. The event took place a few miles from a proposed data center site in South Brunswick.

East Brunswick and North Brunswick both passed local bans on data center construction Monday night, according to organizers.

The bill signed Thursday requires data center owners and operators to submit semiannual reports to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities detailing their energy and water use, including total energy consumption, water sources and peak daily water use. It is part of a package of measures Sherrill proposed in May as guardrails around data center development in the state.

"At the beginning of this summer, I announced the most comprehensive data center plan in the nation to establish strong guardrails and hold data centers accountable. Just three months later, I am delivering on all four pillars of that plan — taking action so that towns across New Jersey know we have their backs," Sherrill said.

Advocacy groups said the new reporting law relies on self-reporting by data centers and that the information collected by the state will not be subject to the Open Public Records Act. They said the governor's broader data center plan doesn't go far enough to protect residents from increased costs and environmental impacts, and renewed their call for a statewide construction moratorium until stronger regulations are in place.

A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted in April found 65 percent of New Jersey residents support a temporary moratorium on data center construction.

"Simply reporting big tech's rampant energy and water consumption will not protect New Jersey residents from the myriad harms caused by data centers. Governor Sherrill must prioritize the needs of the public, take real action, and enact a statewide moratorium on all hyperscale data centers harming communities with high electric bills, noise and water pollution, and sprawl," said Matt Smith, New Jersey state director for Food & Water Watch.

"The only responsible way NJ should move forward with regards to AI data centers is to put the brakes on them," said Amy Goldsmith, New Jersey state director for Clean Water Action. "No permits should be considered until strict protective and enforceable regulations are adopted at the state level including good government practices — like full transparency and robust public involvement from permit to operation."

"Data center reporting for energy and water use after the damage is done is the antithesis of guardrails," said Jaclyn Rhoads, executive director of the Pinelands Alliance. "New Jersey is paving the way for data centers to contaminate our air and waterways while leaving the public to suffer. We demand more of our government officials — pass a moratorium now."

South Brunswick Mayor Charlie Carley welcomed the new law signed by the governor, along with statewide guidance issued by the state Department of Community Affairs to help municipalities negotiate community benefits agreements with data center developers.

"Today, we are putting power back in the hands of communities and giving places like South Brunswick a real say in what comes next," Carley said. "Community benefit agreements offer us the tools to hold data centers accountable and protect our residents, while ensuring our community isn't left out of the innovation and economic opportunity they can bring."

The administration said Thursday's signing, along with the new statewide guidance on community benefits agreements, completes all four guardrails Sherrill outlined for data center development in May: requiring data centers to bring their own clean energy, creating a separate ratepayer class for data centers, mandating transparency through energy and water use reporting, and establishing labor standards including prevailing wage requirements for data center construction projects.

Despite Thursday's signing, advocates said they intend to keep pressing for a statewide moratorium, pointing to East Brunswick and North Brunswick's local bans as a sign of growing municipal resistance to hyperscale data center development.

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