Articles 7.14.26.pdf

Electricity rates in New Jersey are set by utilities and regulated by the Board of Public Utilities, not by data center operators. Here’s the sharper question we should be asking: Is the data center operator funding the new infrastructure it will require? If the utility builds it and recovers the cost through rates, that bill lands on residential customers. If the data center operator funds it directly, there’s no infrastructure cost to pass along. The responsible ones do the latter, as we see with the CoreWeave project in Kenilworth, which is funding its own substation construction and procuring clean energy at a premium for the facility. The new capacity it builds will serve the broader grid, not just its own facility. That's the standard communities should be demanding. On water, emissions and noise During construction, the cooling system requires a one-time water fill. After that, it runs on a closed-loop design that circulates continuously, moving heat through the system year-round without drawing on the local water supply. For context, that initial fill is roughly what an 18-hole golf course uses in a few days. Once operational, day-to-day water use amounts to what you’d expect from any office building of similar size for break rooms and bathrooms. On emissions and noise: What if we told you Google reduced its data center emissions by 12% in 2024? The industry is moving toward carbon-free energy procurement, and software improvements have driven efficiency gains. As for noise levels, New Jersey law sets hard limits: 50 decibels at night, 65 during the day. For context, 50 decibels is a quiet room, and 65 is about the same as background music in a coffee shop. Facilities must stay below that after 10 p.m. These are enforceable standards, not suggestions. On community impact and jobs