DataOne, the Microsoft-linked New Jersey data center recently fined $1m for operating unpermitted generators, emitted large amounts of health-harming air pollution for nearly a year before state regulators stepped in, according to public records obtained by Floodlight.
The Vineland facility’s 62 gas-fired generators became public in August after a Floodlight/Guardian visual investigation found them operating without permits. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) fined the company last week but did not disclose how long the generators had been operating or how much pollution they had released.
Top-five NOx polluter estimate
Floodlight sent technical data about the generators to Xiaomeng Jin, an assistant professor at Rutgers’ Department of Environmental Sciences, and Bruce Buckheit, a former EPA air enforcement division chief. Jin estimated the generators emitted about 140 tons of NOx, which would rank DataOne among the state’s top five NOx polluters of 2025, per EPA data. NOx are smog-producing gases linked to asthma, heart attacks, and premature death.
At full use, Jin and Buckheit concluded the fleet could emit more than 1,500 tons of NOx per year—nearly twice the allowable emissions of the Linden Cogeneration gas-fired power plant, New Jersey’s largest NOx emitter. Buckheit said operating the generators “results in very high levels of air pollution” and that potential emissions are “well over the regulatory threshold for a new major source.”
Residents report noise and health concerns
Local resident Tiffany Leone-Vespa, who lives about a mile away, said the noise sounds like an airplane at the back of her house. “What health problems might I face in the future? Because I’ve been exposed to all of that. My kids have been exposed to it,” she said. More than 100 noise complaints have been submitted to the Cumberland County Department of Health since March, many listing generators as the suspected source.
DataOne did not respond to Floodlight’s emissions analysis. A spokesperson repeated that the company is “transitioning to low-emission, quiet fuel cells as part of the site’s permanent power solution” and disagrees with NJDEP’s determination, but plans to apply for permits now. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company expects suppliers to meet legal obligations and is working with DataOne to support the transition.
Timeline of operation revealed
A letter DataOne sent to NJDEP, obtained by Floodlight, shows generators began arriving in July 2025, with 16 starting in October, another 16 in early February, and all 62 by June. By the time inspectors noticed them, the fleet had run for more than 46,000 hours total. NJDEP declined to comment.
Local farmer Michael Atkinson, whose family has farmed beside the site for over 70 years, called DataOne “one of the richest and worst neighbors that I have ever had to deal with.” During a town hall in late January, CEO Charles Beyney told residents the data center would be “polluting less than a farm” and confirmed NJDEP was aware. A City of Vineland inspection report noted generators were online in early February, and a county health inspector found noise exceeding night-time limits in May.
As part of the fine, NJDEP is requiring DataOne to obtain permits or cease operations within 45 days, during which the generators may continue running. Leone-Vespa hopes independent air monitoring will protect the community. “It’s like they don’t care about the residents,” she said. This story is from Floodlight, a non-profit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action.
