New Mexico attorney general backs environmental groups in Project Jupiter battle

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has intervened in the ongoing controversy surrounding Project Jupiter, a substantial hyperscale data center campus planned for Southern New Mexico. Torrez formally endorsed two emergency petitions filed by environmental organizations, urging the state Supreme Court to halt permitting processes for the project.

The Attorney General specifically called for the cancellation of permission for an emergency well, which was drilled by Santa Teresa Capital for Project Jupiter's construction, and supported a pause in the data center's air quality permit proceedings. He argued that the Office of the State Engineer unlawfully relied on an "emergency" provision for the well and that the New Mexico Environment Department's hearing officer unconstitutionally expedited the air quality permit timeline, denying proper notice and opportunity for parties to be heard.

Environmental groups, including New Energy Economy and the Center for Biological Diversity, allege due process violations and lack of transparency, with New Energy Economy's executive director Mariel Nanasi emphasizing the unprecedented nature of Project Jupiter demands heightened scrutiny. The New Mexico Environment Department and the Office of the State Engineer have opposed these petitions, defending their procedures and deadlines. Despite these legal challenges and the ongoing holds on permitting, construction for Project Jupiter continues at the site, which is intended to support artificial intelligence infrastructure for companies such as Oracle and OpenAI. The case carries additional weight due to New Mexico's obligations to reduce groundwater pumping under a U.S. Supreme Court consent decree.