30 South Jersey Communities Make Unique National Data Center List

Over the last six years, electricity bills have increased by more than 35 percent nationally, part of a growing trend of utility rate spikes. The growing demand for power has created a dynamic where electric distribution companies are passing along the costs of infrastructure upgrades on to customers.

But the biggest culprit for the wild rise in electricity demand is the new wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centers. These AI Data and Cloud Servers run 24/7 with around 40 /MW per hour, placing a major demand on the electrical grids.

These Data Centers are also negatively impacting the environment because they demand billions of gallons of water each year for cooling. This hurts the water supply for farms, and disrupts the natural order when there are drought-like conditions. These Data Centers don't stop just because it hasn't rained in two weeks, so everyone else has to suffer.

This is why New Jersey is one of 46 states that have instituted restrictions on Data Centers. Some state governments have demanded that electric providers start making the companies draining the most power pay more, not the residential customers. Some local municipalities have even taken the steps to ban any future Data Centers from being built in their communities.

These South Jersey Communities Join Growing List

New Jersey is the state with the most Data Center Municipal bans in the United States. Currently, The Garden State has 30 more communities with bans and restrictions than the next closest state (Michigan).

The growing list of New Jersey Municipalities now includes 30 South Jersey communities. There are currently over 110 NJ Municipalities who have either restrictions or bans of data centers with another several communities considering approving their own local measures. NJ is not one of the 12 states with statewide bans and restrictions.

Here are the South Jersey Communities that have full or partial bans on data centers:

*Carneys Point (Salem)
*Cherry Hill (Camden)
*Clementon (Camden)
*Collingswood (Camden)
*Commercial (Cumberland)
*Deerfield (Cumberland)
*East Greenwich (Gloucester)
*Elk (Gloucester)
*Elsinboro (Salem)
*Estell Manor (Atlantic)
*Franklin Township (Gloucester)
*Galloway (Atlantic)
*Glassboro (Gloucester)
*Hamilton Township (Atlantic)
*Harrison (Gloucester)
*Logan (Gloucester)
*Mannington (Salem)
*Mantua (Gloucester)
*Millville (Cumberland)
*Monroe Township (Gloucester)
*Oldmans (Salem)
*Pennsville (Salem)
*Pilesgrove (Salem)
*Pittsgrove Township (Salem)
*Quinton (Salem)
*Upper Pittsgrove Township (Salem)
*Upper Township (Cape May)
*Washington Township (Gloucester)
*Waterford (Camden)
*Woodstown (Salem)