Project Jupiter developers update officials, pitch environmental plans
Developers for the controversial Project Jupiter data center, including Oracle and Bloom Energy, provided updates to Doña Ana County commissioners on environmental plans and construction progress. This meeting occurred despite a New Mexico Supreme Court order that has placed two key permitting processes on hold. Oracle also announced plans for renewable energy development and carbon capture to achieve 100% carbon-free energy matching by 2031.
Representatives from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Bloom Energy provided an update on the controversial Project Jupiter data center to Doña Ana County commissioners. Oracle Vice President Mahesh Thiagarajan and Bloom Energy Chief Commercial Officer Aman Joshi detailed environmental plans, which include a $1 million investment in carbon dioxide capture research from Bloom Energy fuel cells, biannual third-party environmental assessments, and a public dashboard for real-time data on air quality, noise, heat, light, and water use at the site.
Construction for the data center is currently 26% complete, progressing despite an August 23 New Mexico Supreme Court order that halted two critical permitting processes, including the air quality permit proceeding previously slated to begin in Sunland Park. Thiagarajan also announced a call for proposals to develop two gigawatts of new renewable energy, aligning with Project Jupiter's goal of achieving 100% carbon-free energy matching by 2031.
The developers also addressed workforce statistics, reporting that 466 out of 3,686 on-site construction workers are Doña Ana County residents. This figure marks an increase from the 189 local workers reported in an August 18 email, though the state Department of Workforce Solutions stated it had no responsive records for workforce information in response to a public records request.