‘All about money’: Las Cruces senators push back on Project Jupiter at crowded forum
Over 300 residents in Las Cruces voiced strong opposition to Project Jupiter, a massive data center planned for Santa Teresa, to state senators. Concerns included water use, air quality, utility costs, and transparency from county officials. Senators responded by proposing a statewide data center moratorium and tighter regulations on microgrids.
Over 300 residents in Las Cruces, New Mexico, gathered at a forum hosted by Democratic State Senators Joseph Cervantes, Carrie Hamblen, Jeff Steinborn, and Bill Soules to express overwhelming opposition to Project Jupiter, a proposed large data center in Santa Teresa. Attendees voiced significant concerns regarding the project's financial implications, potential job creation, extensive water consumption, its pending air quality permit, and the transparency of Doña Ana County commissioners. Senator Hamblen acknowledged the community's "frustration and anger," noting the perceived breach of trust in the public discourse process.
Following two hours of public comment, which was almost entirely against the project, the senators outlined their planned responses. These include advocating for a statewide data center moratorium, pushing for full lobbying disclosure, and reintroducing a bill to strengthen regulations on microgrids. Senator Steinborn highlighted how a Meta data center in El Paso allegedly caused a 50% rate increase for El Paso Electric, impacting Las Cruces residents, emphasizing the need for state legislation to prevent similar utility hikes. Community organizer Daisy Maldonado cited figures from the Office of the State Engineer, revealing an emergency well for Project Jupiter used 74 million gallons of water in 2.5 months, prompting calls for stricter water regulation.
The forum also referenced a prior contentious Doña Ana County Commission meeting regarding Project Jupiter, where three opponents were arrested, and calls for Commissioner Chair Manny Sanchez's resignation were repeated. Gail Evans from the Center for Biological Diversity criticized Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for seemingly supporting the "highly polluting project." The governor's spokesperson, Leah March, stated that Lujan Grisham takes residents' concerns seriously, expects data centers to meet state environmental and water standards, and denies any interference in state agencies' regulatory decisions despite meeting with Oracle officials regarding general updates.
Senators also demanded greater transparency in lobbying efforts, citing a statewide ad campaign by Project Jupiter backers. The State Ethics Commission recently settled with Elevate New Mexico, the LLC behind the campaign, requiring spending disclosure. Senator Steinborn stressed the necessity for full transparency in lobbying, which he described as currently "opaque."