New Brunswick Residents Protest Potential Data Center, City Council Removes It From Redevelopment Plan

Community members raised concerns over environmental impact, energy consumption, and water usage of large-scale data infrastructure.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Residents in New Brunswick, New Jersey, successfully protested against the potential inclusion of a data center in a city redevelopment plan. The New Brunswick City Council voted to remove data centers as a permitted use and instead require the inclusion of a public park on the site, responding to community concerns over the environmental and resource impacts of such large-scale data infrastructure.

Why it matters

Data centers have become a point of contention in many communities across the U.S. as tech companies seek to build more of these energy-intensive, water-guzzling facilities. This case in New Brunswick highlights how local residents are pushing back against the expansion of data centers, citing environmental worries and the desire to preserve public green spaces over private commercial development.

The details

The New Brunswick City Council had initially included data centers as a permitted use in a plan to redevelop several parcels of land. However, after hearing from concerned residents at a public meeting, the council voted to remove data centers from the list of allowed uses and instead require the inclusion of a public park on the site. Community members cited worries over the environmental impact, energy consumption, water usage, noise pollution, and broader implications of allowing large-scale AI and data infrastructure to expand into residential and public areas.

  • On February 18, 2026, residents in New Brunswick, New Jersey protested the potential data center development.
  • On February 21, 2026, the New Brunswick City Council voted to remove data centers as a permitted use in the redevelopment plan.

The players

Ben Dziobek

A local resident who ran through the crowd outside City Hall announcing that the data center plans had been canceled.

Daniel Dominguez

The New Brunswick city planner who said the inclusion of a potential data center was intended to diversify the commercial development, but was not critical to the project.

Climate Revolution Action Network

A local environmental activist group that helped organize opposition to the redevelopment plan and data center proposal.

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What they’re saying

“They canceled it! They canceled it!”

— Ben Dziobek (Climate Revolution Action Network)

“The city administration is asking the council to amend the redevelopment plan to remove data centers as a permitted use, and to reinsert the requirement for inclusion of a park on the site that's provided in the prior redevelopment.”

— Daniel Dominguez, New Brunswick City Planner (dnyuz.com)

“I'd like to thank the council for deciding to scrap what many people did not want in their neighborhoods. We don't want these kinds of centers in here that are going to take resources from the community.”

— Unnamed Attendee (dnyuz.com)

What’s next

The New Brunswick City Council will finalize the redevelopment plan with the removal of data centers as a permitted use and the inclusion of a public park on the site.

The takeaway

This case highlights how local communities are increasingly pushing back against the expansion of energy-intensive, resource-draining data centers, prioritizing environmental concerns and preserving public green spaces over private commercial development. It demonstrates the power of grassroots activism in shaping urban planning decisions.