Haaland proposes data center moratorium, guardrails despite $87,000 in data-center related donations

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland announced her plan to implement a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data center projects in New Mexico, should she be elected. Speaking at a news conference in Albuquerque, Haaland stated she would sign an executive order on her first day in office, pausing new developments until state lawmakers establish a framework of regulatory guardrails.

Haaland's proposal follows a report by The New Mexican detailing over $87,000 in campaign contributions to her from companies and CEOs linked to the controversial Project Jupiter data center in Doña Ana County, including Oracle. While acknowledging the donations, Haaland asserted they would not sway her commitment to protecting New Mexicans, their communities, and water resources. She plans to discuss returning the funds with her team.

The announcement drew criticism from her Republican opponent, former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who called the moratorium call "suspicious" and an attempt at "damage control." Hull, who stated he has not received "big data" donations, believes project decisions should rest with counties and communities, though he supports legislative action to prevent taxpayer and ratepayer increases due to data center water use.

Various entities, including the Democratic Party of New Mexico, Prosperity Works, New Mexico House Democrats, and the Rio Grande chapter of the Sierra Club, expressed support for Haaland's plan, citing concerns about data center impacts on land, water, and climate change. Separately, the state high court denied petitions from environmental groups against an existing hyperscale data center project.