Doña Ana Dispatches: Project Jupiter developers update officials, pitch environmental plans
Executives from Oracle and Bloom Energy provided an update on the Project Jupiter data center to Doña Ana County commissioners, detailing environmental plans and construction progress. This comes despite a state Supreme Court order that has placed two key permitting processes on hold. Oracle announced various environmental proposals, including carbon capture research and a commitment to 100% carbon-free energy by 2031.
Oracle Vice President Mahesh Thiagarajan and Bloom Energy chief commercial officer Aman Joshi updated Doña Ana County commissioners on the controversial Project Jupiter data center. The meeting was significantly calmer than previous encounters, which had led to arrests.
Despite a state Supreme Court order issued on August 23 that halted two crucial permitting processes, including the air quality permit for Sunland Park, construction on the project is reported to be 26% complete. Oracle announced several new environmental initiatives, including a $1 million investment for carbon capture research from Bloom Energy fuel cells, biannual third-party environmental assessments, and a public dashboard for real-time data on air quality, noise, heat, light, and water usage once the facility is operational.
Thiagarajan also stated that proposals are being sought for two gigawatts of new renewable energy, aligning with Project Jupiter's goal of achieving 100% carbon-free energy matching by 2031. Workforce data presented showed an increase in local Doña Ana County residents employed at the site, with 466 out of 3,686 construction workers residing in the county. However, previous workforce reporting had faced issues with matching zip codes, and the state Department of Workforce Solutions informed The New Mexican that they had no responsive records for a recent request.