Regulators say DataOne installed and operated 62 natural-gas engines without required air permits; the company disputes the finding but will apply for permits while the project transitions to fuel cells.
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New Jersey fined DataOne $1.07 million after a July 29 inspection found 62 Caterpillar G3516H natural-gas engines (1,982 kW each) installed and operated without required air permits, totaling about 122.9 MW.
The Vineland site is moving toward a permanent on-site, off-grid power design built around Bloom Energy fuel cells: about 250 MW guaranteed capacity and 328 MW installed capacity.
New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) assessed a $1.07 million civil penalty against DataOne after finding nearly 123 megawatts of natural-gas generation installed and operating at the company's AI data center in Vineland without required state air permits.
A July 29 NJDEP inspection identified 62 stationary Caterpillar G3516H reciprocating engines at the Vineland facility. Each unit is rated at 1,982 kilowatts, giving the temporary generator fleet a combined nameplate capacity of approximately 122.9 MW.
DataOne disputes the state's finding about the temporary generators but said it will apply for the required air permits while continuing to engage with NJDEP. The company is also managing the site build for Nebius, which will operate servers and GPU infrastructure at the facility.
Context for power supply at the site
The generators were described as temporary power infrastructure as the site moves toward a permanent, off-grid power solution centered on Bloom Energy fuel cells. Bloom is contracted to install, operate, and maintain fuel-cell systems in three phases, delivering about 250 MW of guaranteed capacity and about 328 MW of installed capacity. Site plans also include chiller and water-treatment buildings, LNG infrastructure, and Megabay structures.
NJDEP framed the penalty as the largest enforcement action it has taken against a data center in the state and possibly one of the largest in the nation. The agency signaled that it will pursue enforcement where projects install and operate significant stationary generation without required preconstruction permits and operating certificates.
NJDEP's enforcement action ties a large civil penalty to the presence and operation of a 122.9 MW fleet of gas-fired generators at an AI data center. The site is planned to move to large-scale fuel-cell capacity, but the agency requires formal permitting for the temporary generation that was observed in operation during its inspection.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it is ordering a $1.07 million fine against the DataOne data center in Vineland for allegedly installing and operating 62 large natural-gas power generators without the requisite state permits. The …
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill Gov. Mikie Sherill said it was the largest fine handed out to a data center in state history. [ more › ]
NJDEP fined Vineland data center DataOne $1.07 million for installing 62 gas generators without required air permits or certificates. The post NJ data center DataOne fined $1.07M for air violations appeared first on NJBIZ .
The fine highlights the critical need for regulatory compliance in large-scale infrastructure projects, impacting environmental and community health. The post DataOne fined $1.07M for operating 62 unpermitted generators at New Jersey data center appeared first on Crypto Briefing .
As data centers turn to new fuel sources, states are racing to ensure regulatory bodies can keep up.
First-of-its-kind data center project on federal land remains in preconstruction as regulators question whether an unusual environmental permitting shortcut adequately addressed broader impacts.
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