Two New Mexico lawmakers outline bill for possible statewide data center moratorium
New Mexico lawmakers are proposing a statewide moratorium on large-scale data centers to study their impact on water, energy, and emissions. The bill, spurred by concerns over "Project Jupiter," will be introduced in the upcoming legislative session. Three New Mexico counties have already enacted temporary moratoriums on data center development.
New Mexico Representatives Angelica Rubio and Micaela Lara Cadena have unveiled the framework for a proposed statewide moratorium on "large-scale" data centers. The bill, which is expected to be introduced in the New Mexico legislative session starting January 19th, aims to prohibit new large-scale data center projects while the state investigates their impact on water, energy consumption, emissions, and overall community benefits.
The lawmakers, whose districts include parts of Albuquerque and Las Cruces, cited "Project Jupiter" as a key reason for the necessity of such a moratorium. Representative Rubio stated that the way Project Jupiter was "forced on our communities" highlights the need for the state to "pump the brakes" on data center development to prevent similar situations. Representative Cadena added that county officials who approved multi-billion dollar tax breaks for Project Jupiter still lack details on its water use and emissions, underscoring the need for statewide regulation.
The proposed legislation would define data centers and determine an appropriate moratorium length, ranging from two to five years, though a permanent ban is not currently expected. The New Mexico Environment Department has an air quality permit hearing scheduled for Project Jupiter on September 14th, with a decision deadline by November 23rd. Currently, no U.S. state legislature has passed a data center moratorium, but three New Mexico counties—Santa Fe, Sierra, and Socorro—have already enacted temporary moratoriums on new data center developments.