Microsoft-Nebius New Jersey data center, Vineland, New Jersey

The data center DataOne is building in Vineland, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, for the AI company Nebius and ultimately Microsoft, has been fined more than $1 million by the state for running 62 natural gas generators without a permit. State inspectors found the generators on July 29, 2026; they had not been there at the previous inspection in December 2025. Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak called it the largest enforcement action ever taken against a data center in New Jersey, one that "sends a clear message that these facilities will not be constructed or operated with impunity in this state."

DataOne said the generators were temporary, disagreed with the state's finding, and would apply for the permits. Tiffany Leone-Vespa, who lives about a mile away, hears a constant hum and motor noise, including at night: "Knowing that they didn't have the proper permits, I'm concerned about what is emitting, what am I breathing in." The 300 megawatt campus, part of Nebius's $17 billion deal with Microsoft, is under construction with its first phases approved, and the planning board approved a liquefied natural gas tank on site in August.

DataOne had a $6 million equipment loan agreement with the city, but canceled it after public outcry. More than 100 residents packed a town hall on January 21, 2026 to question chief executive Charles-Antoine Beyney about noise, air quality, property values and union labor. Beyney said the campus would run gas engines for 85 percent of its operations, while DataOne's own webpage says it runs on Bloom Energy fuel cells. The campus sits over the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. DataOne says it expects to be operating by 2027 with about 200 permanent jobs.

DataOne is in communication with the Department of Environmental Protection about a timeline for moving from generators to its Bloom Energy fuel cells, the company said.