New Jersey’s City Of Linden Introduce Ordinance Banning Data Centers In Their Town – Similar To New York’s Moratorium

Editor’s note: In several bizarre twists recently, multiple towns and municipalities across the country have used non disclosure agreements between lawmakers and the data center developing companies – in very antithetical to transparent government ways. This includes Louisiana and South Carolina, among the least accountable states.  If a government is a democracy in some sense, it is responsible to the people it represents.  By making these agreements, these lawmakers are going against their own citizens to make these centers which can be lucrative for towns (or not, depending on how sweet they make the deal to attract them to their location – the more beneficial the agreement, the more the local community bears the brunt with little return). This also brings up conflict of interest and corruption questions.  In Ohio, lawmakers attempted to block a lawfully presented petition with more than the requisite number of signatures.  The state’s Court has ordered them to allow it, so their fight continues.  However, these agreements are the norm in many of the places these centers are springing up.  Suddenly they are there, with no input from the town, and the destruction on the environment and in some cases the drinking water and electric bills as well can far outweigh any ‘jobs’ benefit they might claim to provide.  

This Ohio case should be watched carefully, though, as they’re likely to use similar tactics to those used in about 2019, when a petition and referendum process led to a super heavy ad campaign in favor of the disputed polluting power plant. The house member in charge of the corruption there even went to jail for bribing the petition organizers, but not before the people’s will was squashed through little more than a bunch of lying ads to get people to look at the petitioners negatively.  The people of this very red state not only fell for it and defeated the referendum against the power plant, but they even voted for the rep who was about to be sentenced to jail.  He was removed from office six months in to his new two-decade long home, in jail.   This was described in detail in Ohio Confidential, an excellent documentary.  

LINDEN, N.J. – Mayor Derek Armstead and the Linden City Council today announced plans to introduce an ordinance prohibiting AI data centers in all zoning districts throughout the City of Linden.

As data centers expand across the United States, Linden officials are taking action to protect the community from large-scale developments that can place substantial demands on local electricity and water systems while contributing to pollution, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.

“In the City of Linden, we take the time to do our homework,” Mayor Armstead said. “After a comprehensive review of the potential environmental, infrastructure, and quality-of-life impacts, we concluded that this type of development is not right for our city.”

“Our City Council has investigated this issue carefully, and for many of us, it was important to take a definitive stand,” Council President Yamakaitis said. “The clearest way to communicate that AI data centers are not appropriate for Linden is to adopt an ordinance that expressly prohibits them.”

Growing Demand for Energy and Water

Rapid AI growth is accelerating energy and water demands. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data centers consumed 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023, a figure projected to reach 6.7% to 12% by 2028.

Globally, a 2026 United Nations University report estimated data center consumption in 2025 at 448 terawatt-hours of electricity, generating 189 million metric tons of CO2 emissions and consuming 4.5 trillion liters of water.

These national and global figures do not predict the impact of any particular facility in Linden. However, city officials said they illustrate the scale of the infrastructure and environmental demands associated with the industry’s continued growth.

Climate Risks Require Local Action

Global temperature is normally measured against the 1850-1900 preindustrial baseline, rather than by calculating a percentage increase since 2000. Scientific assessments indicate that the planet has already warmed by approximately 1.3°C, or 2.3°F, above preindustrial levels.

Under current government policies, the United Nations has warned that warming could reach approximately 3.1°C, or 5.6°F, by 2100 – not that the world is on track to prevent 3.6 degrees of warming.

“Climate change is an existential threat that affects every community,” Sixth Ward Councilman Eloy Javier Delgado said. “Preventing AI data centers from being developed in Linden is one way to avoid adding to the problem. It also sends a strong signal to state and national leaders that we need to pause, evaluate the consequences, and protect both our environment and public safety.”

City officials emphasized that rising global temperatures increase the risks associated with extreme heat, heavy precipitation, coastal flooding, drought, and other severe weather events. The proposed ordinance is intended to complement Linden’s broader efforts to protect residents, preserve local resources, and plan responsibly for future development.

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Youth Climate Advocates Join the Discussion

During the city’s review, Commissioner Brianna Armstead connected local officials with the  Climate Action Revolution Network, a New Jersey youth climate advocacy organization, so that its members could share their research and perspective.

“I believed it was important for our local officials to connect with the Climate Action Revolution Network and hear directly from young people who will live with the long-term consequences of today’s decisions,” Commissioner Armstead said. “It was powerful to see city officials engage with a youth organization committed to protecting the only home we have – planet Earth.”

The proposed ordinance prohibiting AI data centers throughout Linden will be introduced at the September 15, 2026, City Council meeting.

Banner Image: Pollution generating AI data center. Image Credit – ann_zima