Project dossier · Vineland, New Jersey

DataOne USA / Nebius Vineland (Microsoft) Approved

South Jersey's largest data center: 2,647,628 sq ft approved in four phases over twelve years off South Lincoln and Sheridan avenues, built by DataOne USA for Nebius, whose GPU capacity here is contracted to Microsoft under a $17.4B five-year deal. Phase one was already operating before an environmental impact statement was published (Feb 2026). Three live disputes: NOISE - a county noise violation in March 2026 and a federal nuisance class action that was voluntarily dismissed on jurisdictional grounds in June 2026, not on the merits; POWER - the board approved 300 MW of behind-the-meter Bloom Energy fuel cells plus a 1.5-million-gallon LNG tank on Aug 17, 2026, after two city stop-work orders for building that equipment without permits; AIR - NJDEP says it has issued no permits and has no applications under review for power generators at the site, while thermal drone imagery published Aug 27, 2026 showed at least 45 of 62 gas generators running. Water figures conflict: the applicant's Aug 2026 case put annual use near 8 million gallons; a 2024 Vineland water department estimate cited by opponents put it above 1.1 billion gallons a year. Vineland has no data center moratorium; neighbouring Millville banned them outright in May 2026.

Key facts

Operator
Nebius
Owner
Nebius
Tenant
Microsoft
Filing LLC
NEP Real Estate of Vineland NJ Urban Renewal LLC; applicant changed to DataOne USA LLC in July 2025
Size
300 MW
Location
Vineland, New Jersey
Hearing
2026-08-17
Decided
2026-08-17
Stage today
Approved

Source
read 2026-08-30

What to do next

Next step: Approved — pivot from stopping it to a binding CBA: enforceable caps on noise, water and cost, plus a community benefit.

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What has happened so far (32 events)

  • 2024-08-08vote
    The Vineland Planning Board approved Resolution 6652, authorizing NEP Real Estate of Vineland NJ Urban Renewal LLC to build 2,647,628 square feet of data centers in four phases over twelve years on the site off South Lincoln and Sheridan avenues. · source
  • 2025-03-05announcement
    Nebius announced a phased New Jersey data center expandable up to 300 MW total capacity, with first capacity expected as early as summer 2025 and 100 MW targeted by end of 2025. · source
  • 2025-07-09vote
    The Vineland Planning Board approved Resolution 6720, amending the site plan to change the applicant to DataOne USA LLC and adding three power generation buildings to the campus. · source
  • 2025-09-10financing
    Nebius signed a five-year GPU infrastructure supply deal with Microsoft worth $17.4 billion (up to $19.4 billion with added services), initially providing dedicated GPU capacity at its Vineland, New Jersey data center from later in 2025. · source
  • 2025-12-09vote
    The Vineland City Council tabled a proposed UEZ revolving-fund loan for the DataOne project after significant public opposition at its December 9 meeting. · source
  • 2025-12-23vote
    The Vineland City Council on December 23 approved a roughly $6.2 million ($6,198,786) Urban Enterprise Zone revolving-fund loan to help fund cranes for the DataOne construction project. · source
  • 2026-01-21protest
    Residents packed a heated town hall at the Landis Theater in Vineland on January 21 to voice environmental concerns about the data center. · source
  • 2026-01-22coverage
    The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that South Jersey's largest data center was under construction in Vineland with completion expected November 2026, and that some residents said they had had no say in the process. · source
  • 2026-02-24environmental
    DataOne released an environmental impact statement for the Vineland data center facility, after phase-one construction was already underway and partially operational. · source
  • 2026-03-01vote
    The Vineland City Council approved a resolution reducing public comment speaking time from five minutes to three minutes, after four months of longer-than-usual meetings driven by data center opposition. · source
  • 2026-03-10ruling
    The Cumberland County Department of Health inspected the DataOne site and issued a Notice of Violation for noise exceeding 50 decibels between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. · source
  • 2026-03-21protest
    About 100 residents rallied at Giampietro Memorial Park in Vineland against the data center; the event was organized by congressional candidate Bayly Winder and advocacy group Sustain SJ. · source
  • 2026-03-23hearing
    The Vineland Planning Board postponed a special meeting on DataOne's phase-two expansion (originally scheduled for March 26) to May 28, 2026, to give the company time to share plans with the public. · source
  • 2026-05-01permit
    DataOne withdrew its NJDEP air permit application for more than 30 Bergen gas-burning engines in May 2026 after the department found multiple deficiencies in it, and pivoted to Bloom Energy fuel cells. · source
  • 2026-05-16public-comment
    More than 60 environmental, labor, and community organizations signed a letter to Governor Sherrill calling for a moratorium on new data centers consuming at least 20 MW of electricity, citing Vineland among their concerns. · source
  • 2026-05-21financing
    Nebius announced a ten-year master agreement with Bloom Energy worth up to $2.6 billion covering an initial 328 MW of solid-oxide fuel cells; Bloom shares rose about 12% on the news. · source
  • 2026-05-26lawsuit
    Residents Scott Montgomery and Michael Gentile filed a class-action lawsuit (Case 1:26-cv-05972) in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against DataOne USA LLC, alleging private nuisance, public nuisance, and negligence from continuous noise affecting approximately 1,013 households within one mile. · source
  • 2026-05-27announcement
    Governor Mikie Sherrill announced a four-pillar comprehensive plan to regulate data centers in New Jersey, including fair-share energy rules, transparency requirements, community benefit agreement standards, and prevailing wage mandates. · source
  • 2026-06-19ruling
    The Montgomery v. DataOne USA class-action lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice after the court issued an order to show cause questioning subject-matter jurisdiction on June 12. · source
  • 2026-07-29environmental
    NJDEP inspectors observed natural gas power-generating equipment operating at the DataOne site. The department later confirmed it has issued no permits, and has no applications under review, for power generators at the facility. · source
  • 2026-08-05hearing
    The Vineland Planning Board held a hearing at the Landis Theatre on DataOne's amended site plan for a phase-two expansion (adding a 587,980-square-foot building) to the 300 MW Nebius campus; opponent Helen Petrites presented 2,900 signatures and the board issued no decision that night. · source
  • 2026-08-06hearing
    A roughly six-hour Vineland Planning Board hearing on DataOne's proposed on-site fuel-cell power generation concluded around midnight on August 6 with no vote; the board said it would announce a date for a second hearing for further public comment. · source
  • 2026-08-06hearing
    NJBIA research analyst Jack Ramirez submitted written testimony to the Vineland Planning Board in support of the data center development. · source
  • 2026-08-06permit
    The City of Vineland issued a stop-construction order for an LNG tank being installed at the DataOne site without prior approvals or permits. · source
  • 2026-08-10permit
    The City of Vineland issued a second stop-construction order at the DataOne site, halting Bloom Energy fuel-cell installation work that was proceeding with no prior approvals, plans, or permits; violations carry $2,000 penalties per violation per day. · source
  • 2026-08-11coverage
    DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria cut the Nebius (NBIS) price target from $250 to $175, citing construction delays at the Vineland facility that he said may remove potential upside from 2026 guidance. · source
  • 2026-08-13coverage
    On Nebius's Q2 2026 earnings call, management said switching Vineland to Bloom fuel cells significantly enhances the 300 MW project and would have no significant impact on the timeline. · source
  • 2026-08-17vote
    After a second hearing at the Landis Theatre, the Vineland Planning Board approved the amended site plan 8-1, to boos from the audience: 300 MW of on-site Bloom Energy fuel cells (Bloom's largest single-site deployment), a 1.5-million-gallon LNG storage tank, 400-plus cooling fans and a misting system. Dozens of residents spoke against it and none spoke for it; board member John Casadia cast the lone no vote, saying the plan needed a thorough investigation. State permits from NJDEP are still required. · source
  • 2026-08-18environmental
    Floodlight flew a thermal drone over the DataOne campus and counted at least 45 of the site's 62 tractor-trailer-sized gas generators running simultaneously; earlier footage from late June showed 25 running. · source
  • 2026-08-27coverage
    Floodlight, in partnership with The Guardian, published the drone investigation. Bruce Buckheit, former head of EPA air enforcement, said the unpermitted generators violate federal law and that the company should stop operating them and pay a fine; he expected administrative enforcement action. DataOne said it is committed to meeting all applicable environmental and permitting requirements; Nebius and Microsoft did not comment. · source
  • 2026-08-28public-comment
    Stand.earth and allied community groups called on Microsoft to halt operations at the Vineland facility over the unpermitted generators. · source
  • 2026-09-22ruling
    NJDEP issued an Administrative Order and Notice of Civil Administrative Penalty Assessment (EA ID PEA260001-75894) fining DataOne $1,072,000 for installing and operating 62 Caterpillar G3516H 1,982 kW natural-gas engines without a preconstruction permit or operating certificate, found at a July 29, 2026 inspection. DataOne must submit permit applications within 45 days of receipt or cease operating the engines; it may request a hearing within 20 days, which does not stay the order. DataOne said it disagrees with the 'temporary generator determination' but will apply for the permits. · source

Find the paper trail

Find the paper trail (3 filed · 13 places to look)

Permits already on file (3)

Filings we have a source for — the record, not a place to look for one.

  • 2026-08-10
    The City of Vineland issued a second stop-construction order at the DataOne site, halting Bloom Energy fuel-cell installation work that was proceeding with no prior approvals, plans, or permits; violations carry $2,000 penalties per violation per day. · source
  • 2026-08-06
    The City of Vineland issued a stop-construction order for an LNG tank being installed at the DataOne site without prior approvals or permits. · source
  • 2026-05-01
    DataOne withdrew its NJDEP air permit application for more than 30 Bergen gas-burning engines in May 2026 after the department found multiple deficiencies in it, and pivoted to Bloom Energy fuel cells. · source

State environmental permits

Backup generators, water withdrawal and stormwater are permitted by the state, usually earlier and in more detail than anything filed locally.

  • New Jersey DEPThe program page: which permits this state requires, and the office that issues them.
  • NJDEP DataMinerSearchable public filings — search the operator, the shell LLC on the deed, and the address.

County & town filings

The rezoning application, site plan, traffic and noise studies, staff report and every revision.

Utility & grid records

The electricity request is filed with the grid operator and the utility long before the town hears about it — and states the real load.

Federal databases

Works anywhere, and covers the operator's record at its other sites.

  • EPA ECHO facility searchEvery federally-reported air, water and waste permit at a facility, plus its inspection and violation history. Search by address or draw a radius around the site. This project's locality centres on 39.490, -75.030 — search that point with a 5-mile radius.
  • EPA EnvirofactsThe same underlying records, queryable by county — useful for 'what else is permitted near this site' rather than one facility.
  • EPA Facility Registry ServiceResolves the shell LLC on a permit to the facility it belongs to. Worth a look when the filing name means nothing locally.

These are places to look, not evidence that anything has been filed. Links were checked on 2026-08-21; search links are queries, not records. What to ask for.

Recent news

83 stories tracked since 2026-02-13 across 49 outlets. 39× A community is pushing back on a nearby data center. 19× Noise from the facility is drawing resident complaints. Most recent: “What’s it like living in the shadow of an AI data center? These Vineland residents know.” (Inquirer.com, 2026-10-01).

+71 more on the story tracker.

Automated news aggregation, not human-verified — follow each link to the original outlet. Part of the story tracker, 83 headlines archived.

Around here

Other tracked projects in New Jersey

Cite this page: GridWatch AI, “DataOne USA / Nebius Vineland (Microsoft)”, aigridwatch.com/projects/microsoft-nebius-new-jersey, retrieved 2026-10-11.

As of August 2026 (2m ago) · changes weekly — re-check before citing

A working set of identified proposals a community can track, not a census — most of the country's activity is not in here yet. Pennsylvania is the exception: its rows are synced from PA DEP's own data-center permit tracker, so the state's coverage is close to complete and carries the permit trail with it. **Each row carries its own provenance.** Rows showing a verification date link to reporting or the governing body's own record and were read on that date; rows marked *unverified* have no source on record — a lead to check, not a fact to cite. **Stage is derived, not asserted.** *Hearing scheduled*, *Awaiting decision*, *Approved* and *Withdrawn* are computed from each row's milestone dates on every rebuild, so a hearing date that has passed stops reading 'scheduled'. Hearings get moved and projects re-file under new names — treat a scheduled date as the earliest to act by, and confirm with the clerk before relying on it. Leads are mined into data/project_candidates.json and promoted here only after a human reads a primary source.

Part of the data center project tracker — open data, CC BY 4.0 (JSON · CSV).

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