Firm behind New Mexico Medicaid campaign recruits influencers to promote Project Jupiter data center
A marketing agency is recruiting social media influencers to promote Project Jupiter, a controversial AI data center under construction in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. The campaign aims to counter public opposition and influence public comment on pending air quality permit applications, while addressing environmental concerns. The New Mexico State Ethics Commission previously sued a group behind anonymous mailers promoting the project.
KUNM reports on a new social media campaign orchestrated by California-based marketing firm Xomad to promote Project Jupiter, a contentious artificial intelligence data center currently under construction in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. The campaign, which targets local social media influencers, aims to highlight the project's economic benefits, including 4,000 construction jobs, 1,500 long-term jobs, and significant tax revenue, while assuring the public that its energy and water systems will not negatively impact the community. This promotional effort emerges amidst ongoing public concerns, particularly regarding the project's environmental footprint, such as its potential impact on groundwater in a drought-stricken region, and its air quality permit applications.
The campaign has drawn criticism from some New Mexico influencers, including Adrian Martin and Becky Wood, who declined paid partnership offers, citing concerns about deceptive practices and the project's environmental implications. Wood, known for her ABQ Adventures Instagram account, publicly rejected the offer, stating her opposition to large-scale AI projects and their resource consumption. The social media push coincides with an extended public comment period for Project Jupiter's air quality permit and a recent change in format for a planned town hall, which transitioned from a county-run meeting to an "open house and career fair" sponsored by developers and tenants like OpenAI and Oracle.
Further adding to the controversy, the New Mexico State Ethics Commission previously sued an anonymous group responsible for a mailer campaign promoting the data center, alleging violations of the state Lobbyist Regulation Act. Xomad had previously been contracted by the New Mexico Health Care Authority for a Medicaid re-enrollment campaign, but the agency denied knowledge of Xomad's involvement with Project Jupiter. The ongoing debate underscores a divide between proponents highlighting economic growth and opponents focused on environmental sustainability and transparency.