New map tracks data centers and local bans across N.J.

What the map shows

NJ.com has mapped every operating and proposed data center it identified across New Jersey, giving residents a town-by-town way to check whether a facility is active or under consideration near them. The investigation also charts about 100 towns that have banned AI facilities.

The categories describe different local circumstances. An operating data center is already in use, while a proposed center remains a plan rather than a completed facility. A town listed for a ban has taken action against AI facilities; that category should not be read as a statewide ban on data centers.

Together, the locations and bans show that New Jersey’s data center development is not following one uniform path. Some municipalities have operating facilities, some are associated with proposals, and about 100 have adopted bans aimed at AI facilities.

How residents can read it

Residents can use the map to look up their town and nearby municipalities, then check whether a location is marked as operating, proposed or subject to a local AI-facility ban. Those labels matter because a proposal is not the same as an operating site, and a local ban is not a statewide policy.

The map offers a statewide view of where data center activity has been identified and where municipal governments have acted to restrict AI facilities. It does not turn the three categories into a single measure: each one reflects a different stage or local policy choice.