Mysterious humming sound driving South Jersey residents crazy

Call the noise police.

A massive AI data center fueled by Microsoft is under construction in a rural New Jersey town — and it’s reportedly driving residents there out of their minds.

The problem, locals in Vineland claim, is the construction site emits an eerie humming sound that’s vibrating across their farmland and keeping them lying awake at all hours of the night, nj.com reported.

Resident Scott Montgomery said his son thought the noise was a helicopter buzzing overhead.

“He kept asking, ‘What are those helicopter noises in the background?’ And it’s just gotten worse over time.”

The project is being built by Data One, which owns the facility.

Nebius Group — a Netherlands-based company that recently announced its $17 billion deal with Microsoft to supply computer power from its Vineland center — will operate the artificial intelligence infrastructure inside.

The developer is pooh-poohing the neighborhood grumbling, saying the place isn’t even finished yet and what they’re hearing is merely construction noise.

But the Cumberland County Department of Health is taking the complaints seriously.

In a pubic statement, the health department said they were investigating the issue and working to confirm the source of the mysterious sounds.

“We understand that ongoing noise can be frustrating for residents, and we take these concerns seriously. … We have responded to many concerns and have made several visits to the area in question to measure sound levels,” the agency said.

“While complainants have shared where they believe the noise is coming from, our staff are working to confirm the exact source of the noise.”

The Nebius AI Center is under construction on a private industrial zone in Vineland, N.J.

New Jersey is home to roughly 80 data centers already, and that number is projected to triple by 2030, according to a McKinsey & Company study.

These are racks for data servers inside the Nebius AI UK Data Center in Chertsey, England. REUTERS

While supporters say the projects bring local jobs and boosts the town’s tax revenue, critics gripe about the potential environmental impact. The centers consume an enormous amount of energy and can use more than 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling.

But for Vineland residents — it’s all about the annoying hum.

“It’s not even fully built yet,” Montgomery said. “That’s the scary part. If it sounds like this now, what’s it going to be like when everything’s up and running?”