(IN DEPTH) DATA CENTER BOOM SPARKS LOCAL PUSHBACK

Residents are taking to the streets in the small borough of Kenilworth, New Jersey. They’re rallying against the ongoing construction of a $1.8 billion hyperscale AI data center that is being built by the cloud computing company CoreWeave. Concerns over electricity and water usage, pollution, noise, and other issues have residents fearful that their new neighbor will change the neighborhood they love. Local business leaders say concerns are being overblown and that the issues are being addressed New Jersey’s strict permitting process. The fight in Kenilworth is similar to others playing out all over the country, with community members angry that their voices aren’t being heard as the AI boom marches on. Correspondent Michael Yoshida has an in-depth look at the fight in New Jersey, including what residents want their elected representatives to do about it, in a special PKG release.