datacenters

New Jersey regulators have issued a record $1.1m fine against DataOne's datacenter in Vineland after an investigation with Floodlight and the Guardian found dozens of generators operating without permits. The penalty, described as the largest of its kind by the state regulator, has drawn attention to the environmental footprint of datacenter expansion and the scrutiny of their backup power infrastructure.

Developers of datacenters in the United States are facing accusations that they have circumvented key federal pollution rules, according to a report by The Guardian. The allegation adds to growing scrutiny of the environmental footprint of datacenter construction, which has surged with the boom in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Critics say regulatory gaps are letting projects avoid standards on air, water and emissions that other industries must meet.