Request for records on governor’s meeting with data center officials yields one photo
A public records request produced only a photograph of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s schedule showing a July 27 meeting with Oracle officials involved in Project Jupiter, a controversial data center in Santa Teresa. The meeting coincided with an unexpectedly accelerated air-quality permit hearing, prompting environmental advocates to question whether the governor’s office influenced the process, though officials denied interference.
A public records request seeking notes, emails and other correspondence about Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s July 27 meeting with Oracle officials yielded only a photograph of an iMessage showing the governor’s schedule. The Governor’s Office initially deemed the request excessively burdensome and extended the response deadline before closing it with no additional records.
The meeting occurred as the New Mexico Environment Department moved up an air-quality permit hearing for Project Jupiter, a large data center in Santa Teresa. Environmental advocates, including New Energy Economy executive director Mariel Nanasi, questioned whether the timing reflected pressure to advance the governor’s economic development agenda. The governor’s spokesperson said Lujan Grisham routinely meets with companies for updates and did not interfere with regulatory decisions. Project Jupiter’s air-permit and water-use proceedings were also temporarily paused by the New Mexico Supreme Court before being allowed to resume.