NMT halts Green Data Center plan amid community concerns
New Mexico Tech has halted its proposed Green Data Center project in Socorro following significant community opposition and complex issues identified during initial phases. While the university is open to revisiting the project in the future, Socorro County commissioners are set to vote on a one-year moratorium on all data centers and related infrastructure. The project aimed to generate 2 gigawatts of power with a water-neutral design.
New Mexico Tech (NMT) President Michael Jackson announced that the university will not proceed with the proposed Green Data Center project in Socorro. This decision comes after facing substantial community opposition and identifying several material considerations that made the current framework unsuitable. The project, led by Green Data CEO Jason Bak, intended to generate 2 gigawatts of base-load power with battery storage and a water-neutral design.
Since its announcement in March, hundreds of local residents, including members of Inform Socorro, attended public meetings to voice concerns and urged officials to halt development. Mary Ruff of Inform Socorro expressed satisfaction with NMT's decision but emphasized the need for continued vigilance to preserve the community's rural lifestyle. Jackson cited a lack of contiguous land, a lengthy due diligence process, community concerns, and insufficient data from similar operations as key reasons for the university's decision, which Bak confirmed was mutual.
Despite the halt, NMT remains open to revisiting a revised proposal in the future, assuring that any new evaluation would involve comprehensive feedback from all constituents. Separately, Socorro County commissioners are scheduled to vote on June 9 on a proposed one-year moratorium on all data centers and related infrastructure in the county. Jackson affirmed NMT's commitment as the largest employer in Socorro County to pursuing initiatives that align with the university and benefit the campus, local, and state communities.