Sierra County Commissioners pass 18-month data center ban
Sierra County Commissioners unanimously passed an 18-month moratorium on data center development, following strong public opposition and concerns over water resources. The decision aims to provide time for impact studies and regulatory assessment, mirroring actions by other New Mexico counties.
Sierra County Commissioners in New Mexico unanimously enacted an 18-month moratorium on data center development, a surprise move during a Tuesday meeting that drew gasps and applause from a crowded room. This decision followed over an hour of public comments, nearly all expressing opposition to data centers, primarily due to concerns about water resources in the Lower Rio Grande community, where Elephant Butte Reservoir is at critically low levels.
Commissioner Sandy Jones proposed the amendment for the moratorium, which was strongly supported by Commissioner Hank Hopkins and Chairman Jim Paxon, after an initial resolution simply expressed opposition. The county's action aligns Sierra County with Santa Fe and Socorro counties, which have also implemented temporary bans to study and regulate data center impacts.
The moratorium was spurred by a proposed solar-powered data center by developer Green Data/Aetherion Inc. at Spaceport America, a site on state trust land. While the county's resolution does not directly apply to state land, the project requires approval from State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, who has voiced "serious concerns about the tremendous strain that some data centers put on water systems and other natural resources."
Local resident group Project Consequences, formed in response to the Spaceport America proposal, highlighted the rapid, often unnoticed, development of projects like "Project Jupiter" in Doña Ana County as a cautionary tale. The moratorium is intended to allow the county to conduct resource impact studies and to monitor regulatory actions from the state Legislature.