East Brunswick NJ data center zoning ban (Ord. 26-21)
East Brunswick, NJ — Ordinance 26-21: Data Centers Prohibited in All Commercial, Business and Industrial Zones (August 2026)
East Brunswick, NJ · East Brunswick Twp., N.J. Ordinance 26-21 (Aug. 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Applies to
- Developers seeking to site data centers in East Brunswick's commercial, business or industrial districts; township planning and zoning officials.
- Enforced by
- East Brunswick Township Planning Board / Township Council
The East Brunswick Township Council adopted Ordinance 26-21, amending the township zoning code to add a definition for 'data centers' and to designate them a prohibited use in every commercial, business and industrial zoning district. Adding the definition matters as much as the prohibition: before this, the township had no settled term for the use, which is the gap developers elsewhere have worked through. Before voting, the council made a technical correction to the text, changing 'primary use' to 'principal use' so the ordinance matches terminology already used in the township's land use code — a small edit that prevents an argument later about whether the ban reaches a facility characterised as something else. Local coverage framed the ban as protecting residents from the increased utility costs data centers tend to bring, along with noise, air and water pollution. East Brunswick was one of three New Jersey municipalities to ban data centers in the same period, with North Brunswick and Stafford Township, and joined more than 50 New Jersey communities that had done so.
Who is protected: East Brunswick residents and ratepayers, through a permanent prohibition on data centers in every commercial, business and industrial district, framed around utility costs and noise, air and water pollution.
Legal detail
Township of East Brunswick, N.J. Ordinance 26-21, amending the township zoning code to (a) add a definition of 'data centers' and (b) designate data centers a prohibited use in all commercial, business and industrial zoning districts. Permanent zoning prohibition; no sunset. Drafting note preserved because it bears on enforceability: prior to adoption the council made a floor correction replacing 'primary use' with 'principal use' to align with the terminology already operative in the township land use code. Stated protective rationale: utility cost increases, noise, air and water pollution. DATE UNRESOLVED and therefore null: TAPinto reports adoption 'at its Monday meeting', while ROI-NJ and Insider NJ group East Brunswick with North Brunswick and Stafford Township as banning on August 25, 2026 (a Tuesday) — the two cannot both be literally right, and the township council's meeting night has not been confirmed. last_action_date 2026-08-25 is recorded for ordering only and should not be read as a verified adoption date. East Brunswick was the 36th New Jersey municipality to ban data centers.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | East Brunswick, NJ |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Citation | East Brunswick Twp., N.J. Ordinance 26-21 (Aug. 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Data centers are a prohibited use in all commercial, business and industrial zoning districts |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | East Brunswick Council Advances Broad Zoning Ban on Data Centers — TAPinto East Brunswick |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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