Residents raise noise and power concerns as township discusses possible data center interest on Artificial Island

Commissioner Cordy Taylor told the Oldmans Township Committee Sept. 11 that, with a previously proposed windport not moving forward, a data center has shown potential interest in a site on Artificial Island because of available electrical capacity.

Resident Keith Walton asked whether the prospective facility would be used for Bitcoin mining and warned that the large server clusters used in data centers can be noisy and could draw significant electricity, potentially affecting local power supply. Taylor responded that the likely need is for cloud or artificial-intelligence compute rather than Bitcoin mining.

Why it matters: Data centers require large, steady power supplies and generate continuous noise from computer fans and cooling systems. Residents flagged local impacts including noise, traffic and potential strain on the electrical grid. Commissioner Taylor said Gloucester County appeared amenable to restricting truck traffic on E. Mill Street during a related discussion, but any formal road or truck restrictions would require approval from Logan Township and further coordination with county agencies.

Next steps noted in the meeting: staff indicated the township will monitor regional discussions, attend the planned Turnpike Authority public meeting the week of Nov. 18 regarding roadway design, and pursue intergovernmental coordination if a data center proposal advances.