Township takes first steps to ban AI data centers

Monroe Township council has introduced an ordinance that would completely ban any and all AI data centers in the community.

The vote came at an April 8 meeting of council and the township ordinance committee and was the result of protests against the Hexa Redevelopment Plan, which proposes a possible data center of 1.6 million square feet on the Black Horse Pike.

The plan – first approved by the Land Use Board in January – raised concerns from residents at multiple meetings about possible financial strains from the project’s water and energy output. That criticism led to the ordinance.

“It is a process,” the township noted online prior to the April 8 meeting, “but we hope to have the entire process and ordinance in full effect following the April 22 council meeting.”

A separate ordinance specifically banning data centers from the Hexa plan will move forward as well and be considered for adoption at the Wednesday, April 22 council meeting.

Businesses and municipal resources will still be permitted to host computer and server rooms, but council eventually decided that no more than 2% of a property can be dedicated to storing property. Council came to the decision to avoid exploitation of a possible loophole.

“We have a server room here at town hall,” explained Mayor Greg Wolfe. “It’s a computer room that basically holds all the data for the township. I know the school district probably has similar ones in every single school. Obviously, that’s a need not only for our township building, but also our school-district buildings, other buildings (and) businesses that may have a computer server room. Entirely different from a data center, but we need to include that.”

More details on the ordinance – including who will enforce it – will be added and updated until the April 22 vote.