New Mexico Legislators Urge Statewide Data Center Moratorium
State representatives in New Mexico are urging a statewide moratorium on new data center construction due to concerns over minimal job creation, strain on natural resources like water and electricity, and alleged misstatements by project proponents. The article references similar actions taken in New York and Pennsylvania's adoption of stricter regulations for data centers.
COMMENTATOR Peter Goodman supports the call by New Mexico state representatives Micaela Lara Cadeña and Angelika Rubio for a statewide moratorium on new data center construction. The representatives have urged fellow legislators to consider this measure, citing concerns that while data centers offer substantial capital investment and tax-base growth, they create few permanent jobs and place significant strain on limited natural resources, particularly water and electricity in New Mexico.
The article highlights Meta's Los Lunas data center as an example, noting its $2.5 billion investment and 300 full-time workers, but questions if these benefits outweigh the costs and resource strain. Goodman points to actions in other states, such as New York's moratorium on hyperscale data centers and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's announcement of stringent new regulations limiting electricity and water usage for data centers. He also criticizes alleged extensive "lies and misstatements" by proponents of a project named "Jupiter," which he claims undermine trust and necessitate time-consuming verification by government agencies.
Goodman suggests a temporary moratorium, perhaps for a year, would allow the state to better understand the true costs and benefits, negotiate more intelligently, and implement appropriate conditions before further development. He cites AI's agreement that there's a strong case for a moratorium in New Mexico, given its scarce water, electricity infrastructure, and potential for preferential treatment for large AI facilities.