New Jersey fines data center $1.1 million after drone photos expose 62 gas generators

New Jersey fined data center operator DataOne $1.07 million on September 22, 2026, for operating 62 unpermitted gas generators at its Vineland facility. The fine, the largest of its kind in the state, followed drone footage exposing the off-grid power setup. While the state gave DataOne 45 days to apply for permits, local residents and environmental group Sustain SJ criticize the penalty as a minor expense for a major corporation and express deep concerns over ongoing air and noise pollution.

State fine and enforcement action

• ▪On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, New Jersey fined data center operator DataOne $1.07 million for violating the state's Air Pollution Control Act
• ▪The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection gave DataOne 45 days to apply for air permits or cease operations, allowing the company to continue operating the 62 gas generators at its Vineland facility during the application period
• ▪The $1.07 million fine issued to DataOne is the largest environmental enforcement action ever taken against a data center in New Jersey

Criticism of the state's enforcement action

• ▪Local environmental group Sustain SJ and Vineland residents criticized the $1.07 million fine issued against DataOne on September 22, 2026 as an insufficient penalty that fails to deter multi-billion dollar companies
• ▪Sustain SJ co-chair Nichole Gardner argued that DataOne should be forced to discontinue operations at the Vineland site during the 45-day permit application window

Unpermitted generator operations at the data center

• ▪DataOne installed and operated 62 unpermitted natural gas-powered generators at its Vineland, New Jersey data center
• ▪The gas generators at DataOne's Vineland data center operated at approximately 1,982-kilowatt capacities, which is more than 50 times higher than the New Jersey permit threshold of 37 kilowatts
• ▪DataOne withdrew its permit application for approximately 30 gas generators in May 2026 after the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection identified multiple deficiencies in the application
• ▪Thermal drone footage captured by The Guardian and Floodlight News in August 2026 showed that 45 of the 62 gas generators at DataOne's Vineland data center were operating

Health risks of generator emissions

• ▪According to officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the pollutants emitted by DataOne's Vineland gas generators can worsen asthma, trigger heart attacks, and cause early deaths
• ▪The 62 gas generators used at DataOne's Vineland data center emit carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other combustion-related pollutants

Local resident concerns and legal action

• ▪Vineland residents expressed concern over the lack of air quality measurements and potential health impacts from DataOne's unpermitted generators operating near homes, farmland, and two schools
• ▪Homeowners in Vineland, New Jersey filed a federal lawsuit against DataOne and filed complaints with the Cumberland County Health Department over persistent noise pollution from DataOne's data center site

New Jersey data centers

• ▪More than 80 data centers are planned or under construction in New Jersey
• ▪New Jersey recently passed a law ending data center tax credits, blocking developers from a fund that previously offered $250 million in incentives

Debatable claims

• ▪Allowing DataOne to operate during its permit application period is justified
• ▪New Jersey should impose a moratorium on new data center construction
• ▪Data centers are justified in using off-grid gas generators to meet power demands
• ▪New Jersey's $1.1 million fine is sufficient to deter future data center violations