Rep. Stansbury calls for investigation into Project Jupiter’s water use
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury has called for a state investigation into Project Jupiter's water use near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, citing concerns about its impact on the drought-stricken Lower Rio Grande Basin. Over 30 protests have been filed regarding an emergency replacement well for the project, and the New Mexico Supreme Court has issued a stay in a related legal challenge. Oracle, the project's developer, states that closed-loop cooling will minimize long-term water needs, but critics demand formal public review of these projections.
U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury has demanded an immediate state investigation into the water usage of Project Jupiter, a planned 1,400-acre data center campus near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Stansbury expressed concerns about the project's construction water, long-term operational needs, and potential impacts on other users in the drought-stricken Lower Rio Grande Basin. This call comes amidst a new Albuquerque Journal poll revealing 65% public opposition to large-scale data center development in New Mexico.
The controversy specifically revolves around an emergency replacement well authorized for Project Jupiter's construction, which draws from a water right previously used for agriculture. More than 30 protests were filed with the Office of the State Engineer regarding this replacement well, arguing that transferring water use from agriculture to industrial construction warrants transparent public review. While the Office of the State Engineer, through general counsel Nat Chakeres, maintains the water right has always allowed multiple uses and its processing of protests is normal, the Center for Biological Diversity has challenged the well authorization before the New Mexico Supreme Court, accusing the state of violating the law by allowing the well without a public hearing. The Supreme Court has since issued a stay in the case.
Oracle, identified as the developer behind Project Jupiter, claims the data center campus will primarily use treated, non-potable well water with closed-loop cooling systems, requiring significant initial fills but minimal annual top-offs. The company estimates approximately 11 million gallons for initial fills and 168,000 gallons annually for maintenance. However, Rep. Stansbury contends that these operational projections have not undergone sufficient formal public review, despite the state's assertion that the water right represents an existing verified use and does not create new depletions or violate New Mexico's Rio Grande Compact obligations. Project Jupiter has also faced other regulatory hurdles, including a hold on an air-quality permit and two blockages of a proposed natural-gas pipeline.