Andover Township, New Jersey, has made headlines for something unexpected. A crowd of fired-up locals packed a barn, called out their leaders, and ended up going viral after the police tried to quiet things down. Now, this quiet rural spot reversed course completely: elected officials voted to ban data centers outright.
That decision is turning heads, as people see it as proof that a determined community can stop Big Tech in its tracks.
The Nerd Stash already covered the town hall at the Hillside Barn back when things got so heated on May 7 that the police removed a resident who kept demanding answers from officials.
Only two days later, Mayor Thomas Walsh and Deputy Mayor Krista Gilchrist posted a video saying the township committee would scrap the controversial ordinances for the proposed data center and move forward with a total ban.
Officials put it on the agenda right away, scheduling a special meeting for May 12 to repeal the two ordinances and make the ban official. The data center project, which had been planned for the old Newton Airport property – a 97-acre site that has sat empty for years at 248 Stickles Pond Road – was done for.
The ban ordinance introduced on May 12 was set to be voted on at the committee’s May 28 meeting. The video that’s making the rounds on the internet shows a packed town hall meeting with residents standing and applauding. The post frames it as a fresh “breaking” victory for local residents.
At first, Andover’s leaders thought the data center would be great for the town’s budget: $5 million in tax revenue is nothing to sneeze at. But the pushback from residents was impossible to ignore. People were angry, and Walsh told News 12 the fight over the data center split the town and brought threats to his own family.
Internet Reacts To New Jersey Township Officially Banning AI Data Centers
Reactions split sharply between those cheering the ban as a community victory and those questioning what residents actually gave up to get it.
The celebratory comments came loud. “We do not want these data centers!!!! They need to be banned everywhere!!!” one person wrote, while another added: “New Jersey???? Good for them!! We have an obnoxious amount of data centers. Needs to start somewhere.” One commenter framed it in broader terms: “Once again, United We Stand Divided We Fall wins the day! New Jersey for the win!”
Others were more pointed about what they see as the true nature of the technology being blocked. “Eliminate the BIG POLLUTING CON!” one commenter wrote. “These things are pure evil — destroying the earth, draining resources people need to survive!”
Not everyone was cheering. Several commenters pointed directly to the economic cost of the decision. “Nothing great to celebrate — there goes a lot of jobs,” one person wrote, while another asked flatly: “What is this accomplishing other than increasing your own property taxes?”
One commenter put it even more directly: “NJ people hate money. They should be forced to be responsible for creating as many jobs as they just voted against.” A lone dissenting voice among the opposition offered a different read: “Actually, AI is no threat and probably would’ve been their biggest asset.”
Andover’s fight wasn’t just about one building. People across New Jersey are waking up to how much of an impact data centers have, especially after a report showed they were the main reason electric bills across the state jumped 20% in June 2025, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective.
Andover isn’t the only town taking action. Millville introduced a similar ban, and Harrison Township is set to vote on one soon. This movement is clearly bigger than just one town.
