New Jersey Fines DataOne $1.1 Million Over Unpermitted Data-Center Generators

DataOne said it was committed to meeting environmental rules at its Vineland, New Jersey, data center. The state has now fined it $1.1 million for installing and operating gas generators without required air permits. There are 62 generators at the site. DataOne has 45 days to apply for permits or cease operations, but the generators may keep running while it seeks approval.

From aerial images to an enforcement order

An August investigation by The Guardian and Floodlight used thermal drone footage to show 45 generators operating. The questions began earlier: a farmer spotted equipment in satellite imagery, and residents raised concerns at a public meeting in February. State inspectors visited in July; the generators had not been there at their previous visit in December 2025.

The equipment was well above New Jersey’s air-permit threshold. The state requires permits for generators rated at 37 kilowatts or more; the Vineland generators were rated at 1,982 kilowatts. State environmental officials say gas generators release carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and other pollutants associated with health risks. That general risk does not establish what nearby residents were exposed to.

An application withdrawn in May

DataOne had tried to obtain permits for about 30 generators. It withdrew the application in May after New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection found multiple deficiencies, according to Floodlight. The new order follows that unsuccessful attempt to secure approval, rather than introducing a permitting question for the first time.

What have we been breathing in since they’ve been running these generators without permits?

Tiffany Leone-Vespa, Vineland resident, to The New York Times

Neighbors and DataOne disagree on the remedy

The facility sits near homes, farmland and two schools, according to The New York Times. Sustain SJ co-chair Nichole Gardner told Ars Technica that the fine is insufficient. She wants the site to stop operating until proper permits are issued.

DataOne told The New York Times it disagrees with the fine but will apply for air permits for what it calls temporary generators. A spokesperson said the data center is transitioning to lower-emission fuel cells. That is a stated plan, not a completed replacement for the generators covered by the order.

New Jersey’s environmental commissioner called the penalty the state’s largest enforcement action against a data center. The Vineland facility powers Microsoft AI tools including Copilot, according to Ars Technica. The case now puts a concrete compliance finding behind a dispute that had previously centered on the site’s permits.