New Mexico AG investigating alleged fraudulent Project Jupiter public comments
The New Mexico Department of Justice is investigating allegations of fraudulent public comments submitted in support of an air quality permit for Project Jupiter, a massive data center project in Doña Ana County. This comes amidst ongoing opposition to the project and a proposed statewide moratorium on large-scale data centers. The permit application was submitted by Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC, with Oracle and OpenAI spearheading the project and STACK Infrastructure Inc. as the operator.
The New Mexico Department of Justice has launched an investigation into alleged fraudulent public comments made in support of Project Jupiter, a significant artificial intelligence data center planned for Doña Ana County near Santa Teresa. Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated that the integrity of public processes is paramount, following complaints that individuals' names were used without consent on comments submitted for an air quality permit application.
The permit application was filed by Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC, with Oracle and OpenAI identified as key developers and STACK Infrastructure Inc. as the operator. The New Mexico Environment Department, which is reviewing the application, has pledged full cooperation with the Justice Department and is prepared to take action against those responsible for fraud. State Rep. Cristina Parajón of Albuquerque and City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn also reported fraudulent submissions under their names, expressing outrage over the manipulation of the public process.
Project Jupiter has already faced considerable opposition due to concerns over air pollution and climate-warming emissions. This latest controversy coincides with a proposal by several Democratic state lawmakers, including some from Doña Ana County, for a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data centers. Despite the challenges, the New Mexico Economic Development Department recently awarded STACK Infrastructure Inc. over $3 million through the Job Training Incentive Program for Project Jupiter's workforce development.