In a historic blow to Big Tech development in the Garden State, the Millville Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to completely ban data centers within city limits.
The decision effectively kills a proposed 2.6 million-square-foot facility, marking the largest data center project ever successfully blocked in New Jersey.
The sweeping vote serves as a massive victory for the Climate Revolution Action Network, or CRAN, a Gen Z-led environmental advocacy group that spearheaded a months-long grassroots campaign to unite local factions against the development.
At full capacity, the massive facility was projected to draw 1.4 gigawatts of power from the electrical grid — an amount of electricity equivalent to powering over 1 million residential homes. Additionally, the facility would have required billions of gallons of water annually solely for infrastructure cooling.
CRAN and local opponents argued that data centers of this magnitude place a disproportionate strain on community infrastructure. Activists noted that across New Jersey, the rapid expansion of these hubs is driving up utility bills for everyday residents to sustain power-hungry artificial intelligence systems.
The multi-generational fight brought together distinct groups within the South Jersey community. CRAN organizers spent months on the ground in Millville, holding public workshops, training residents to speak at civic meetings, and packing municipal chambers with hundreds of vocal opponents.
The strategy successfully built a coalition linking teenage climate activists with long-time agricultural families whose roots in South Jersey stretch back generations.
“We had young people and long-time farmers working together to stop Big Tech from taking advantage of our community,” said Kayleigh Henry, CRAN ecology director. “This is a winning coalition and something we need to see more of across the country. These corporations may have more money than us, but they’re no match for people speaking out and making their voices heard.”
The local victory in Cumberland County may just be the beginning of a larger legislative battle. Flush with momentum from the Millville ban, CRAN leaders announced they are pivoting their efforts toward state lawmakers. The group is actively mobilizing residents across New Jersey to pressure legislators to enact a formal, statewide moratorium on all new AI data center construction.
City officials have not yet released a public statement on the long-term economic impact of the zoning ban.
