Santa Teresa residents frustrated after data center town hall becomes job fair
Doña Ana County Commissioners faced public anger after a town hall on the Project Jupiter AI data center in Santa Teresa was replaced with a career fair. Residents voiced concerns about water use, pollution, and transparency regarding the fast-tracked approval of industrial revenue bonds. The session highlighted ongoing community opposition to the project.
Community members in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, expressed significant frustration at a recent public meeting regarding the controversial Project Jupiter AI data center. Doña Ana County Commissioners faced hours of angry testimony after a promised town hall on the project was transformed into an open house and career fair hosted by the developers and tenants, Oracle and OpenAI.
Residents and environmental activists accused county leaders of dismissing community concerns, which included issues surrounding water use, pollution, transparency, and the rapid approval of $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds for the project. Critics were particularly upset about the change in format, expecting a forum where they could directly question officials.
Commission Chairman Manny Sanchez defended the open house, citing it as a better way to disseminate information. However, Commissioners Susana Chaparro and Susie Kimball disagreed, asserting that residents still deserved a traditional town hall. The contentious meeting underscored deep divisions over whether the massive AI facility will deliver economic benefits or exacerbate environmental and quality of life problems in the vulnerable Southern New Mexico community. County officials now plan to create an online portal for questions, with a broader community meeting potentially months away.