Timeline: The evolution of Project Jupiter
Project Jupiter, a large AI data center in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, has faced significant legal and environmental challenges, including protests, lawsuits, and a Supreme Court stay on permits, which was recently lifted. Developers Oracle and BorderPlex Digital Assets have announced a new plan to power the facility with natural gas fuel cells to reduce emissions, as various government entities continue to weigh in on its development and associated impacts.
Project Jupiter, a massive artificial intelligence data center campus under development in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, recently saw the New Mexico Supreme Court lift a stay on its air quality and water use permits, allowing regulatory proceedings to continue. This development comes exactly one year after the Doña Ana County Commission initially approved $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds for the project, which is being developed by companies like Oracle and OpenAI.
Over the past year, the 1,400-acre project has generated substantial public opposition, including protests, multiple lawsuits from environmental groups and residents alleging violations of state law and open meetings acts, and fierce pushback over its environmental impact and transparency. Key milestones include BorderPlex Digital Assets forming in June, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announcing the project in February, and the county commissioners voting to advance the bond deal in August despite public outcry. Companies such as STACK and Yucca Growth Infrastructure (formerly Acoma LLC) have also been involved in the project's development, facing scrutiny over environmental assessments and land use.
Regulatory bodies have been deeply involved, with the New Mexico Environment Department reviewing air quality permits, the State Land Commissioner denying pipeline right-of-way permits through state trust land, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management authorizing a separate natural gas pipeline. Efforts to regulate data center emissions were introduced by State Sen. Jeff Steinborn but failed in committee. The project's power source has evolved, with Oracle and BorderPlex Digital Assets announcing a shift to Bloom Energy natural gas fuel cells from gas turbines, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, though controversy persists. The New Mexico Department of Justice has also launched an investigation into alleged fraudulent public comments supporting the project. Despite the ongoing challenges and legal battles, construction on the hyperscale data center continues, employing thousands of people.