Why New Jersey needs an AI data center moratorium

New Jersey cannot afford to keep greenlighting massive AI data centers without serious scrutiny.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul took decisive action by imposing a statewide moratorium on large new facilities to study their true impacts on power, water, and communities.

It's not often I agree with the far-left governor in New York, but she's spot on in slowing the roll of this disruptive expansion. Gov. Mikie Sherrill should follow that responsible example immediately.

For those of you who love the idea of the U.S. competing with China on AI, I get it, and agree.

But not in suburban areas.

These centers belong on federal land. The U.S. government owns more than 600 million acres of land. Surely, they can figure out a way of locating data centers that don't disrupt local communities and drain limited resources.

AI data centers put enormous demands on NJ's water and power

These AI-driven projects are enormous consumers of resources.

A single large data center can pull up to 5 million gallons of water per day, enough to supply a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people.

On energy, hyperscale facilities often demand hundreds of megawatts, enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes or an entire small city.

“But they recycle the water; it’s self-contained.” Not quite.

Most rely on evaporative cooling towers, in which 70-80% of the withdrawn water evaporates into the air and is permanently lost to the local system. Only a fraction returns as wastewater.

That net consumption still drains local aquifers, rivers, and municipal supplies, especially as more AI facilities come online.

“Recycling” doesn’t erase the real strain on New Jersey’s water resources.

The good news is many towns are not waiting for the governor to act, as Warren Township, Asbury Park, Red Bank, Sayreville, Monroe, Andover, East Greenwich, Pemberton, and a few others have passed local bans or moratoriums on new data centers.

These communities recognize the risks to power reliability, water supplies, noise levels, property values, and quality of life.

AI data centers could become a defining issue in New Jersey politics

As Republicans head into the 2027 midterms for the Legislature, this could be a wedge issue to drive independent voters out to force a change in the Democratic majority.

It starts in the GOP primary as too many current Republicans are complicit with Democratic overspending, overtaxation and regulatory overreach.

So, let's start by nominating better, stronger, liberty-minded Republicans and then let's turn out unaffiliated voters in droves to turn the tide in Jersey.

In the meantime, Republicans should be united in calling for Gov. Sherrill to enact a moratorium and stop this invasion from Big Tech, which is going to change the landscape and culture in New Jersey for decades to come, and not for the better.

And don't waste time talking about 'job creation.'

New Jersey is losing jobs by the thousands; a couple dozen jobs coming back is not worth the cost of the data centers, plus how many of those jobs will actually go to foreigners through the H1B visa program?

New York recognized the danger of rushing ahead. More than 120 municipalities nationwide have paused or banned these projects.

New Jersey should lead, not lag behind.

Gov. Sherrill needs to issue the moratorium today.

Study the full impacts on our grid, our water, our farmland, and our utility bills before we commit the Garden State to projects we can’t undo.

New Jersey families, farmers, and ratepayers deserve to come first, not as an afterthought, sacrificed on the altar of Big Tech.