New Jersey Residents Oppose Local Data Center Expansion

A new poll shows that 65% of residents oppose data centers in their towns, as 93 municipalities enact construction moratoriums.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Data Centers

Isometric editorial illustration of a massive, windowless industrial data center facility featuring large cooling vent stacks on a flat landscape. — A Stockton University poll indicates that 65% of New Jersey residents oppose local data center construction, leading many municipalities to enact development moratoriums. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support the construction of large-scale data centers in your local community?

A recent Stockton University poll reveals that 52% of New Jersey residents oppose data center development within the state. Public resistance intensifies at the local level, where 65% of residents oppose these facilities in their own towns.

Why it matters

The findings underscore a widening gap between the infrastructure demands of the digital economy and local public sentiment. Opposition is primarily driven by concerns over the high water and electricity consumption of data centers, as well as noise pollution from their cooling systems and generators.

Current data shows 93 New Jersey municipalities have implemented formal moratoriums to halt data center construction. This volume of local regulatory action exceeds the counts in other states, such as Michigan with 63 and Ohio with 55 active bans.

The players

Stockton University

A public university in Galloway, New Jersey, that operates the Hughes Center for Public Policy to conduct research on state political and social issues.

The details

Local opposition is rooted in the significant resource load of data centers, which require constant power for high-density computing and water for industrial-scale cooling. This infrastructure frequently generates continuous ambient noise from large-scale HVAC systems and backup generators required for operational uptime. As a result, municipalities are using zoning moratoriums—legal freezes on specific building permits—to block developers from site acquisition and facility construction.

October 29, 2026: Stockton University released the results of the statewide public opinion survey.

The Tech Race

The widespread adoption of municipal bans marks a significant departure from the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure seen in previous years. New Jersey now leads a national trend of local pushback, with the state's moratorium count surpassing both Ohio and Michigan.

Residents in the 93 municipalities with active moratoriums will not see new data center construction until local boards lift these restrictions. This uncertainty makes it increasingly difficult for developers to secure land and energy grid access for new facilities across the state.

The takeaway

The sharp divide between Democratic (72% opposed) and Republican (44% opposed) local sentiment suggests that project siting will remain a high-friction political issue. Stakeholders should monitor upcoming municipal board meetings, as these sessions determine whether current moratoriums are extended or repealed.