AI and data center projects the topic of community meeting
A public meeting was held in Roswell, New Mexico, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI and data center projects. Speaker Matthew Gonzales addressed community concerns regarding water usage, electricity demand, and environmental impacts. Attendees expressed skepticism, though Gonzales encouraged public engagement with elected officials.
The Roswell-Chaves County Economic Development Corporation organized a public meeting in Roswell, New Mexico, where approximately 75 people gathered to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and data center projects. Matthew Gonzales, founder and CEO of Chingon Strategies LLC, was the featured speaker at the event held at the Roswell Elks Lodge.
Gonzales, a proponent of these developments, emphasized that the challenge is not whether such projects exist, but how to build them in a way that aligns with New Mexico's values, protects resources, and creates opportunities. He highlighted potential benefits for rural areas, including new jobs, increased tax revenue for schools, infrastructure improvements, and economic diversification. He also pointed to New Mexico's Energy Transition Act, which mandates 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050, as a driver for modernizing infrastructure.
Community members voiced common concerns about new AI and data center projects, with water consumption topping the list, followed by electricity demand, air emissions, public infrastructure impact, land use, traffic, noise, and community character. Despite Gonzales addressing these issues and suggesting solutions like efficient cooling systems, some attendees remained skeptical, with one person stating, "They’re going to do what they want to do anyway. This is just to appease the public."
Gonzales advised community members to educate themselves, consult experts, and engage with their elected officials to voice their opinions and concerns, acknowledging that "not every project is right everywhere."