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Red Bank council urges state moratorium on large data centers and backs ‘polluters pay’ measures
Summary
The council approved a consent‑calendar resolution asking state leaders to pause new large-scale data centers while statewide environmental, utility and reporting standards are developed and reaffirmed support for state ‘polluters pay’ legislation; climate and clean-water advocates addressed the council in favor.
The Red Bank Borough Council voted to send copies of a resolution urging a statewide moratorium on new large‑scale data centers and to encourage adoption of robust environmental and utility standards.
The measure was part of the consent resolutions (Nos. 117–130) and instructed the clerk to transmit copies to the governor, legislative leaders, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, the Department of Environmental Protection and the county board of commissioners.
At the meeting Ben Jobeck, executive director of the Climate Revolution Action Network, told the council that data centers can substantially increase electricity and water demand and generate local impacts. "Fast data centers that power artificial intelligence guzzle huge amounts of energy," Jobeck said, adding that research he cited finds heat‑island effects and instances of large unmetered water draws at some facilities.
Amy Goldmith, New Jersey state director for Clean Water Action, urged local officials to press state legislators to put the polluters‑pay bill on the floor, noting that the statute's authors estimate the measure would apply to roughly 50 companies and fund infrastructure and climate‑resilience efforts if passed.
Council adopted the consent package by roll call; members present voted to approve the resolutions. The meeting record does not include technical verification of the outside research cited by advocates; the resolution is a policy statement and does not itself impose local regulatory changes beyond the existing municipal code.
What's next: the resolution's text will be transmitted to the listed state officials; any statewide moratorium or statutory change would require action at the state legislature or regulatory bodies.
