Socorro Residents Oppose Green Data Center Project in La Jencia Basin

In a letter to the editor, a concerned citizen expressed vigorous opposition to a proposed 2-gigawatt data center and 10-gigawatt solar project by Green Data, led by CEO Jason Bak, in New Mexico's La Jencia basin. The project, slated for property New Mexico Tech (NMT) is considering turning over, is described as the "world's biggest Data center" covering 10,000 acres. The author detailed several objections, including the potential destruction of a 10,000-year-old Folsom archaeological site, immense water consumption from local sources, and significant environmental damage from vast solar panel arrays, glare, and harm to local wildlife and habitat. The letter also highlighted concerns about the project's economic impact, arguing it would primarily benefit shareholders and potentially displace future jobs through AI development, offering little to Socorro citizens beyond temporary construction work. Furthermore, the author raised serious national security questions due to the site's proximity to critical military facilities like White Sands Missile Range, Kirtland Air Force Base, and EMRTC. The lack of transparency regarding financial backers, including potential foreign investment, prompted a call for a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The author implored NMT leadership, the Socorro County council, and other decision-makers to halt all support for the project until full, independent environmental, cultural, economic, and national security reviews are conducted and made public, emphasizing that Socorro deserves complete transparency before any commitments are made.