Committee sends data‑center reporting bill forward amid water and grid concerns
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Summary
S3379, requiring semiannual water and energy usage reports from data-center owners to the BPU, was released after testimony from environmental groups warning about water withdrawals, grid strain, and land-use impacts; industry offered mixed reactions.
The Senate Environment and Energy Committee released S3379, which would require data-center owners and operators to submit semiannual reports on water and energy usage to the Board of Public Utilities.
Sponsor Senator Ruiz and environmental witnesses described the data-center industry as highly resource intensive and urged transparency to manage impacts on the power grid, drinking-water supplies and open space. Taylor McFarland of the Sierra Club said large facilities can use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water daily and cited sites in Gloucester County and Vineland that converted farmland for very large facilities.
Alex Amoros of New Jersey Policy Perspective framed the bill as part of a broader fairness argument, saying residents and ratepayers bear costs from rapid data-center growth. Industry groups and trade associations filed mixed slips; the committee nevertheless voted to release S3379.
What’s next: If enacted, semiannual reporting would provide state regulators with data to evaluate cumulative water use, local aquifer impacts and grid integration needs as the data-center sector expands in New Jersey.
