South Brunswick residents push back against planned data center
A data center under construction in South Brunswick is drawing environmental concerns from residents who said they only recently learned about the project, more than a year after it was approved by local officials.
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A data center under construction in South Brunswick is drawing environmental concerns from residents who said they only recently learned about the project, more than a year after local officials approved it.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is currently reviewing an application from Sentinel Data Centers to install several backup diesel generators at the former Princeton Nurseries property on Rt-1. The agency has opened a public comment period as part of its permitting process.
Many residents said they didn't become aware of the project until the state began to seek public input on the generator permits. However, the proposed data center received approval from the South Brunswick Planning Board in May 2025.
"It's only been in the last month, maybe a little bit longer than that that people have truly been aware of it and been able to raise their voices," said Kingston resident Karin Gillespie. "If there is an opportunity to impact the diesel generators and think about some kind of an alternative to that, that would be great."
The property is situated on the border of several towns including South Brunswick, Kingston and Princeton.
“This is about more than one data center. It is about the health of our families, the protection of our air and water and the long-term future of our communities,” said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. “Pollution does not stop at municipal borders. The impacts of this project will extend far beyond South Brunswick, threatening the health and quality of life of residents across the surrounding communities."
Though the approval for the data center was granted by the South Brunswick Planning Board, Princeton Mayor Mark Freda and the city council released a statement at the beginning of October in opposition of the backup generators.
"When running, these generators will undoubtedly send emissions across municipal boundaries, often negatively affecting air quality and public health in Princeton’s residential neighborhoods and at two of our elementary schools. We urge DEP to deny the air permit application for the center in its present form," the statement said.
The two candidates running to replace Coleman in November are also speaking out on the data center and the potential impacts for nearby residents.
Adam Hamawy, the Democratic candidate running to represent New Jersey's 12th district said in a statement, "Our communities deserve the right to decide their own future, not have it dictated by billionaires and corporate developers. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has a responsibility to protect public health, and that starts with denying this air permit.”
His Republican challenger, Gregg Mele, also spoke to News 12 about the planned data center.
“Residents deserve a complete, independently reviewed accounting of generator emissions, noise, water demand, and electricity infrastructure costs—including all planned phases," Mele said. "Developers should pay the infrastructure costs they create, and protections for neighboring communities must be enforceable."
While the current state review is focused on the backup generators, some residents continue to call for the entire project to be reconsidered.
"Maybe we can do what so many other communities have done. Maybe we can get them to not have this data center," said South Brunswick resident Janice Gossman. "A lot of people say it's too late. We have to try."
For some neighbors, the debate is personal. Michael Van Pelt, who lives down the road from the site of the data center, said he worries about how the facility could impact his family, including his son, who has autism.
"My son is very sensitive to sound," Van Pelt said. "His special education program is magnificent. His teachers are wonderful and if he loses that, I don't know what we're going to do."
