New Jersey has fined DataOne $1.1 million for secretly operating 62 gas generators at a massive data center in Vineland, violating the state's Air Pollution Control Act. The fine is the largest ever levied against a data center in the state, according to the Department of Environmental Protection. The generators, which run at 1,982 kW each—more than 50 times the state's 37 kW permitting threshold—emit pollutants linked to asthma, heart attacks, and premature death. Thermal drone footage from The Guardian and Floodlight News showed 45 of the units actively running without permits.
The enforcement came after a farmer spotted the equipment on satellite imagery, and state inspectors confirmed the "tractor-trailer-size" generators were "impossible to miss." DataOne has 45 days to apply for permits or cease operations, but can keep running the engines while the application is pending. Local environmental groups argue the fine is insufficient and that operations should be halted immediately. Residents, who first raised concerns at a town hall in February, question why it took six months for officials to act and what emissions they've been breathing in since.
DataOne says it disagrees with the fine but will apply for permits for the "temporary" generators, and that it is transitioning to low-emission fuel cells. The company previously withdrew an application for about 30 generators after the DEP found deficiencies. The case underscores a growing tension: as AI demand surges, data centers increasingly rely on polluting backup power, while communities push back. New Jersey recently ended data center tax credits, signaling a shift away from welcoming such projects unconditionally. The source article notes this is the first time a data center operator in the state has used gas generators for off-grid supply, and the fine may not deter others given the financial scale of these projects.Here is the article in strict JSON format as requested.```json {