Millville officials pass ban on data centers

POLITICS

Data center of 2.6M square feet blocked by Millville ban<br>Risha Inaganti Jim WalshCherry Hill Courier-Post

May 20, 2026Updated May 21, 2026, 2:04 p.m. ET

Officials in Millville, NJ have banned the construction of data centers within city limits.<br>The decision by city commissioners also stopped a proposed 2.6-million-square-foot data center project.<br>Opponents, including members of the Climate Revolution Action Network, cited concerns over electricity and water usage.<br>Another South Jersey town has made the decision to ban all data centers.<br>Just days after an ordinance in Monroe Township banned data centers entirely, the Millville's commissioners voted to block data centers as well within city limits.<br>This decision came during a board meeting May 19. In doing this, town officials also killed a proposed 2.6-million-square-foot facility.<br>South Jersey news: Stockton University to host Haiti's World Cup teamProject opponents hailed this as the largest data center project to be blocked in New Jersey to date.

Spearheading the protest against the Millville data center were members of the Climate Revolution Action Network. Members of CRAN have been rallying to block data centers across the state.<br>For months CRAN members have been working with Millville residents, encouraging them to speak out at board meetings.

“We had young people and long-time farmers working together to stop Big Tech from taking advantage of our community,” Kayleigh Henry, CRAN ecology director, said in a press release. “This is a winning coalition and something we need to see more of across the country.<br>“These corporations may have more money than us, but they’re no match for people speaking out and making their voices heard.”

According to a social media post from CRAN members, the proposed Millville data center would have drawn 1.4 gigawatts from the grid, which is enough electricity to power more than a million homes.<br>Other arguments against the data center included the water usage, constant noise and fear of high-voltage infrastructure being pushed into the community.

Beyond Millville and Monroe Township, other South Jersey residents have also begun to push back against data centers.<br>Approximately a dozen people opposed to data centers protested May 20 outside a meeting at Rowan University. They made speeches and shouted chants, expressing concern over the potential impact on the area’s water supply and on the cost of electricity.<br>Recent headlines: South Jersey hospital ratings: Ranking the best hospitals in south NJOne of the protestors was Rhiannon Clark of Millville, who had also attended the Millville board meeting one night earlier.<br>“The idea of Millville being open to development [of data centers] is really a concern,” Clark, who is a member of advocacy group Sustain SJ, said.

She described the vote against data centers as “a huge relief.”<br>Since the success in Millville, CRAN members have been vocal about wanting to embolden others on both a local and state level.<br>“We are building communities, not data centers,” the CRAN social media post read. “This fight was never just about one project. It’s about who gets to shape the future of New Jersey.”

Risha Inaganti writes about trending topics across South Jersey for the Courier-Post. If you have a story she should tell, email her at rinaganti@usatodayco.com. Subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.

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