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Environment & Climate

New Jersey datacenter accused of violating federal law by running unpermitted generators

Thermal imaging by a non-profit newsroom revealed dozens of gas-powered generators operating at the DataOne AI facility in Vineland.

Updated Aug 27, 2026 · 15:28 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • A visual investigation using thermal drone footage captured at least 45 unpermitted gas-powered generators running at the DataOne AI datacenter in Vineland, New Jersey.
  • A former EPA air enforcement chief stated that operating these generators without final permits violates federal law, though state regulators have yet to make a full compliance determination.
  • The facility, slated to provide AI computing power to Microsoft through Nebius, has drawn intense opposition from local residents over noise and potential health impacts.

Key facts

  • Thermal drone footage captured by non-profit newsroom Floodlight showed at least 45 of 62 generators running at the DataOne facility in New Jersey.[The Guardian]
  • A New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson confirmed the agency has not issued any permits or has applications under review for power generators at the facility.[The Guardian]
  • Bruce Buckheit, a former EPA air enforcement chief, stated that operating the generators without a final permit violates federal law and suggested administrative enforcement action may be forthcoming.[The Guardian]
  • The DataOne site is being constructed to supply AI computing power to Microsoft as part of a $17 billion deal with the Dutch AI infrastructure giant Nebius.[The Guardian]
  • Local residents have filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court over persistent noise pollution from the facility, which is located about a mile from two schools.[The Guardian]
  • DataOne was previously cited by the Cumberland County health department in March for violating noise ordinances, and the city of Vineland issued stop-work orders in August for moving fuel cells on-site without permission.[The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • It is unclear how long the generators have been operational, though maintenance logs indicate the first may have been turned on in October and intelligence data showed activity in June.[The Guardian]
  • State regulators noted the generators during a July 29 site inspection but have not yet made a formal compliance determination.[The Guardian]

Sources