NM State Ethics Commission reaches settlement with group behind Project Jupiter ads
The New Mexico State Ethics Commission and Elevate New Mexico have reached a settlement regarding claims that Elevate New Mexico failed to comply with the state's Lobbyist Regulation Act. The claims stemmed from an advertising campaign lobbying for the proposed Project Jupiter data center campus in Doña Ana County. Elevate New Mexico, funded by Yucca Growth Infrastructure, agreed to file required lobbying and campaign finance disclosures as part of the settlement.
The New Mexico State Ethics Commission has reached a settlement with Elevate New Mexico, a Virginia-based corporation, over allegations of non-compliance with the state's Lobbyist Regulation Act. The commission had filed a lawsuit claiming Elevate New Mexico violated the act by launching an extensive advertising campaign to lobby for the proposed Project Jupiter data center campus in Doña Ana County, without disclosing its funding.
The advertising campaign, conducted from February through March 2026, urged New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) officials to approve air quality permit applications for two microgrid power plants. These power plants, for which Yucca Growth Infrastructure (formerly Acoma, LLC) applied, are intended to power the Project Jupiter data center campus.
Under the settlement agreement, executed on July 24, Elevate New Mexico committed to filing the lobbying advertising campaign registration and campaign finance disclosures with both the Secretary of State and the Commission. Amelia Bierle, deputy director of the State Ethics Commission, emphasized that these disclosures are crucial for transparency, allowing New Mexicans to understand the financial backing and deployment of resources influencing public opinion and NMED officials regarding Project Jupiter's potential economic, environmental, and energy impacts.
Disclosures revealed that Elevate New Mexico received $3,667,000 in contributions, entirely from Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC, and reported $419,478.44 in advertising expenditures. Major expenses included payments to Analytics Pros, Inc. for digital advertising, Meta Platforms, Inc. for social media advertising, Wilkins Media, LLC for billboard advertising, Malbert Media for direct mail, and Continuum Media for television advertising.