Vineland data center accused of operating natural gas generators without permit

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Residents in Vineland, New Jersey say they want answers after a controversial data center was accused of operating natural gas powered generators without a permit.

The 300-megawatt data center, with its initial phases already approved and under construction, is being developed by DataOne for the Nebius Group to support infrastructure for artificial intelligence as part of a $17 billion deal with Microsoft.

Thermal drone images of the facility using natural gas power-generating equipment were published by media outlet Floodlight.

DataOne does not have a permit for power generators, nor have they submitted an application for a permit, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

In a statement, a spokesman for the DEP said the agency observed natural gas power-generating equipment during an inspection of the site on July 29.

The DEP has asked the facility for more information, the spokesman said. It’s not clear whether the data center would receive a violation for the activity.

“The DEP will make a full compliance determination after receiving and reviewing this information,” the spokesperson said.

It’s not the first time the developers have come under fire for work on the data center. Earlier this month, DataOne received stop-work notices after it began construction to make way for a liquefied natural gas tank and fuel cell units that had yet to receive approval from the city.

Some residents have said they don’t trust the developers, and are concerned about air emissions. Though cleaner than coal, natural gas powered engines release pollutants like nitrogen oxides.

“I live close to the site. I breathe that air, my kids breathe in that air,” said Zac Landicini, a Vineland resident who has led a grassroots campaign against the development of the data center. “They never got the approval for these pollution-spewing generators, which they probably would have gotten if they would have followed the process anyway, but it’s just that they just have no regard for the process.”

DataOne has not responded to a request for comment.

Several residents have pushed back against the plan, voicing concerns about air emissions and water use at the facility, and worry the data center could cause a decrease in property values. Some residents have complained about a whining metallic noise from the site, leading to a class-action lawsuit.

The facility off South Lincoln and Sheridan avenues is situated in a residential area and near commercial farmland. Charles-Antoine Beyney, DataOne’s CEO, told WHYY News earlier this year that the company has acquired a majority of the homes that sit just a few hundred feet away from the facility. DataOne employees will now occupy those homes.

DataOne plans to generate the majority of its energy on site, using Bloom Energy fuel cells to turn natural gas into electricity through an electrochemical reaction.

The plan is a shift from its previous proposal to use 32 high-efficiency natural gas engines, as well as six diesel generators for emergency power.

Data centers across the U.S. are relying on natural gas turbines and diesel engines to power their sites. Though so-called “bring your own power” takes strain off the electric grid, it can spew toxic emissions into local communities.

The Bloom Energy fuel cell process releases fewer air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides than traditional natural gas and diesel engines. However, the technology is estimated to emit more than 2 billion pounds of climate-warming carbon dioxide a year at the Vineland site.

It’s not clear whether the natural gas-powered engines are a temporary measure until the fuel cells are operational.

Steve Gold, an environmental attorney and professor at Rutgers University, said these engines may also require federal permits under the Clean Air Act, depending on how much pollution they emit.

“If the data center’s generators collectively could emit enough pollution to be classified as a major source of any air pollutant, a proper permit would have imposed very stringent pollution control requirements,” he said in an email.

DataOne said its facility will benefit Vineland by hiring more than 200 permanent, full-time workers, and by becoming one of the largest taxpayers in the city. The city’s mayor and City Council president have voiced support for the project, and have approved a partial tax exemption for the company as part of a five-year plan.