Kenilworth residents rally against proposed data center expansion ahead of council meeting
Kenilworth Residents Rally Against Proposed Data Center Expansion Ahead of Council Meeting.
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Residents in Kenilworth and neighboring communities are speaking out against plans for additional data centers in Union County, gathering ahead of a borough council meeting to voice their concerns.
Community members say they’ve been closely watching a proposed data center project for weeks, and now fear the development could expand even further. According to residents who reviewed public records requests, there may be plans for more than just the initially proposed facility.
“What we learned through OPRA requests is there’s actually a map from the applicant for this one data center,” said Union resident Renee Spaziani. “There’s intent to build two more that are not approved, and a substation, all at that site.”
Those concerns drew a large turnout, with the meeting room reaching capacity and tensions at times running high. The project, a $1.8 billion development at the Northeast Science and Technology Center, was approved by the planning board for redevelopment last year. Since then, however, opposition to data centers has been growing across the state.
“We know it will be very hard to stop something which has already been approved,” said Rahway resident Eric Hausker. “But there are a certain set of guidelines which Gov. [Mikie] Sherrill recently proposed.”
Last month, Sherrill outlined a four-part plan that would require data centers to fund their own energy usage, report electricity and water usage every six months, create sustainable union jobs for New Jersey residents, and contribute to the surrounding communities.
Residents remain concerned about the long-term impact, especially if additional facilities move forward.
“I think everybody within a 30-mile radius should be here because it’s going to affect all of us,” Spaziani said.
As of now, the company behind the project has received approval, but construction has not yet begun.
