New Jersey

A data center that hasn’t been built — or even formally proposed — is causing tensions in a rural Sussex County town where residents are threatening to sue local officials over the potential project.

The state’s new governor had previously called for the state to develop a more efficient permitting system, part of a broad tech push. The state will select up to 10 projects to take part in the pilot.

The data center industry’s rapid growth has raised concerns among state lawmakers, who are now pushing to limit AI data centers’ impact on utility bills, water use and the electric grid.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who took office in January, wants more public safety tools to protect stops and stations, and a better user experience. She has ordered officials to come up with a plan.

With an alarming increase in breaches, hundreds of public organizations in the state might be unprotected despite a free membership to the service that New Jersey began paying for last year.

The state’s new governor has outlined her spending proposals for the upcoming fiscal year. Tech innovation and the impact of digital platforms on mental health also gain financial support in the new document.

Starting this spring, a new state test called the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Adaptive for grades 3-10 will be “adaptive,” meaning students will get different questions based on their previous answers.

Under state law, New Jersey public school students must be in classrooms for the day to be counted, with exceptions for when schools are closed more than three consecutive days due to a declared state of emergency.

To guard against phishing-based ransomware attacks, the state is outfitting 161 of its jurisdictions and other public-sector organizations with hardware-based protection. And it's not alone.

Lee E. Micai, a longtime technologist in Mercer County government, has been named to the role, which he said entails responsibilities previously assigned to the head of IT. His tenure began last month.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill has appointed Kevin Dehmer, the now-former state education commissioner, as the state’s new chief technology officer. Longtime CTO Chris Rein’s last day was Friday.

Rein, who has been in place since May 2018, was the state’s second standalone CTO and its former deputy chief information security officer. Vernon Spencer, state chief operating officer, will step in as interim CTO.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who took office this week, orders improvements to the permitting process, calling for a dashboard and other work. She also wants to use AI to improve state operations.

All e-bikes must be registered and insured, whether they are low-speed e-bikes that require pedaling and can't exceed 20 miles per hour, or they are motorized bicycles that reach 28 miles per hour.

California-based company Coco Robotics announced a pilot program in the Heights neighborhood last week, nearly a year after Uber Eats teamed with Avride for downtown robot delivery service.

The outgoing governor has signed a memorandum of understanding with tech company NVIDIA to support AI research, education and workforce development. The state has invested $25 million to support the work.

State Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole will remain under her administration, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said. Outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, signed a bill affirming the New Jersey Innovation Authority.

The Atlantic County Library System will use a $24,500 grant to establish a digital literacy lab at its Egg Harbor Township branch, library officials announced Monday.