Kenilworth, New Jersey is a working town. Bordered by the Garden State Parkway, Route 22, and the industrial corridor that runs through Union County, this borough has always lived close to the infrastructure that powers the region. Its residents know what it means to absorb the costs of development that benefits everyone else.
Now, a new wave of industrial expansion is moving through New Jersey — and communities like Kenilworth, Roselle Park, Garwood, and Cranford are in the path.
Data centers are coming to New Jersey at a scale most residents don't realize. And the deals being made to bring them here are being cut without meaningful community input.
Why New Jersey Is a Prime Data Center Target
New Jersey sits at the center of one of the densest fiber optic networks in the world. Its proximity to New York City, its existing power infrastructure, and its access to water make it one of the most attractive data center markets in the country.
Northern and central New Jersey already host dozens of data center facilities. The expansion is moving into Union County and surrounding areas — bringing with it demands on water, power, and land that existing communities were never designed to absorb.
What Data Centers Mean for Kenilworth and Union County
- More industrial burden on already-burdened communities. Kenilworth sits in a corridor that already manages significant industrial and commercial traffic. Data centers are not quiet neighbors — they run 24/7, generate constant noise from cooling systems, require heavy truck traffic during construction, and consume enormous amounts of power and water.
- Water drawn from an already-stressed system. New Jersey's water infrastructure serves one of the most densely populated states in the country. A single large data center can consume millions of gallons per day. In Union County, where aging water infrastructure is already a concern, adding industrial-scale water consumption is not a neutral act.
- Power grid pressure on PSE&G's network. The grid serving Kenilworth, Roselle Park, Garwood, Cranford, and Westfield was built for residential and commercial use. Data centers are among the most power-intensive operations ever built. Rate increases and reliability issues follow them everywhere.
- Few jobs, big footprint. A data center campus can occupy an entire city block and employ fewer than 50 permanent workers. For Union County communities that need real economic development — local jobs, small business growth, neighborhood investment — a data center is a poor substitute.
- Tax incentives that cost local schools. New Jersey has offered significant tax incentives to attract data center investment. In a state where property taxes are already among the highest in the nation, any abatement that reduces local tax revenue hits Kenilworth schools, municipal services, and infrastructure budgets directly.
Union County Has Already Given Enough
The communities along the Route 22 and Garden State Parkway corridor have absorbed decades of industrial and commercial development. The air quality, noise levels, and traffic burdens in these neighborhoods reflect choices made by planners and politicians who didn't live here.
Kenilworth residents didn't sign up to be New Jersey's data center corridor. Neither did Roselle Park, Garwood, Cranford, or Clark.
What You Can Do
- Contact Kenilworth Borough Council and Union County freeholders. Ask them what data center inquiries or permits have been filed in the area, and what environmental and community impact reviews are required.
- Contact your state legislators in Trenton. Ask them to oppose data center tax incentives that don't include binding community benefit agreements, noise and emissions standards, and full water use disclosure.
- Connect with local advocacy groups. New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and Clean Water Action NJ are active on industrial siting and environmental justice issues in Union County.
- Talk to your neighbors in Kenilworth, Roselle Park, Garwood, Cranford, Westfield, Clark, Scotch Plains, Rahway, and Linden. This is a Union County issue that crosses every borough line.
- Wear the movement. Stop Data Centers tees, stickers, and drinkware start conversations — at the diner on Boulevard, at Nomahegan Park, at the school pickup line. Show Union County where you stand and shop the movement at stopdatacenters.myshopify.com.
New Jersey's working communities have carried enough. Not one more data center without a fight.
Kenilworth stands. Union County stands.