New Mexico pressed pause on what would be one of the country's biggest data centers
The New Mexico Supreme Court has issued orders to pause a well water permit and a proposed air quality permit for Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County, a large AI data center backed by Oracle. This pause follows petitions from environmental groups, including Youth United for Climate Crisis Action, who alleged a lack of due process and raised concerns about water depletion and greenhouse gas emissions in the drought-stricken state.
The New Mexico Supreme Court recently issued emergency orders to pause a well water permit and a proposed air quality permit for Project Jupiter, a massive artificial intelligence data center planned for Doña Ana County. These orders came in response to petitions from environmental groups, including Youth United for Climate Crisis Action, which alleged a lack of due process in the project's development.
Jonathan Juarez, a campaign organizer for Youth United for Climate Crisis Action, expressed hope that the rulings would slow the process, allowing communities to better participate and access information about the long-term impacts of the project. Project Jupiter, backed primarily by Oracle, is slated to be one of the largest AI infrastructure complexes in the U.S. Critics highlight concerns about its potential to deplete local water supplies amid New Mexico's ongoing drought and its projected annual greenhouse gas emissions, which could surpass those of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces combined.
Despite promises of high-paying jobs and tax revenue from AI proponents, critics like Sayrah Namaste of the American Friends Service Committee argue that data centers are not labor-intensive and question the project's job reports. Namaste supports the idea of a moratorium to assess the project's impact before it proceeds rapidly. Oracle stated its commitment to responsible development and resource protection following the court's decision.