El Paso and New Mexico set ambitious climate goals. Their plans didn’t account for massive new data centers
Large data center projects being built or planned around El Paso, Texas, and southern New Mexico could generate up to 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, undermining regional climate goals. Project Jupiter and Meta’s facilities face legal, environmental and utility-related hurdles, while officials and residents are increasingly questioning their emissions, water use and electricity demands.
Project Jupiter, an Oracle data center under construction in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and Meta’s data center in El Paso are expected to rely on large private power plants that could emit up to 10 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. A third facility planned at Fort Bliss could require about 3 gigawatts of electricity. Experts and local officials warn that the projects could worsen air pollution, increase energy demand and complicate climate plans adopted by New Mexico and El Paso.
The projects received local tax incentives and state support, but opposition and regulatory scrutiny have grown. Lawsuits over Project Jupiter’s permitting and groundwater use delayed a public hearing before the New Mexico Supreme Court lifted the stay, while El Paso Electric awaits approval for Meta’s power plant from the Texas Public Utility Commission. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have recently acknowledged concerns and called for greater oversight of data center impacts, including water use, infrastructure costs and electricity demand.