Opponents Protest LNG Pipeline Plan to Power Massive AI Data Center in New Mexico
Oracle and OpenAI plan a massive AI data center in southern New Mexico, requiring a 17-mile natural gas pipeline from Energy Transfer. A grassroots group, Hold the Line, is protesting the project due to environmental concerns, particularly air quality in the Mesilla Valley. Their efforts recently gained support from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Oracle and OpenAI are partnering on "Project Jupiter," a massive artificial intelligence data center slated for construction in southern New Mexico, close to the Texas border. The facility intends to draw power from methane, a potent greenhouse gas, necessitating a new 17-mile natural gas pipeline dubbed "Green Chile," proposed by Energy Transfer. This pipeline project has sparked significant opposition from "Hold the Line," a grassroots organization based in west Texas.
Jon Copeland, an organizer for Hold the Line, highlights concerns about potential air quality degradation in the Mesilla Valley, a region whose natural geography could trap emissions. The group is actively campaigning against the pipeline, aiming to halt the data center project as well. Their efforts recently gained momentum through an intervention by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which identified a legal requirement that needs to be followed.
Copeland noted that while landowners might be offered financial incentives for their property, these offers are often insufficient given rising living costs, making it difficult for families to refuse. Hold the Line provides guidance to residents on avenues to oppose the pipeline, including utilizing FERC's public participation process, underscoring the ongoing nature of the dispute.