Haaland defends position on data centers, Project Jupiter air quality permitting process resumes & more

The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled against two environmental groups, New Energy Economy and the Center for Biological Diversity, allowing the air quality permitting process for Project Jupiter, a large data center complex in Doña Ana County, to resume. The groups had previously secured a temporary stay on the process, citing concerns over public participation and illegally drilled water wells, but the court's unanimous decision on Thursday offered no further explanation. Meanwhile, construction for Project Jupiter continues, despite estimates indicating its potential to emit significant greenhouse gases.

In a separate development, gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland announced her intention to sign an executive order for a moratorium on new large-scale data center projects if elected, pending legislative guardrails. She emphasized the need for transparency, local job creation, renewable energy, and water use frameworks, an announcement that followed revelations of over $87,000 in campaign donations from data center developers, including Oracle. Her opponent, Republican Greg Hull, opposes such a moratorium.

Additionally, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) addressed the Senate, criticizing the voluntary nature of the Ratepayer Protection Act, which aims to shield ratepayers from energy cost increases due to data centers. Heinrich advocated for his own GRID Savings Act, which would mandate data centers to cover their own grid connections and upgrades, and called for greater accountability, community engagement, and water conservation from developers.