New Mexico

Data center activity in New Mexico

Regulatory Environment

-8 pts

New Mexico's most distinctive challenge is legal, with litigation weighing more heavily here than in nearly any other state. Opposition has also been effective, blocking at least 14 projects while only five advanced despite objections, and at least 38 moratoriums have been enacted against four rejected. Zoning is modestly favorable at five approvals and three denials. At least 78 companies are active, suggesting strong interest despite friction, but New Mexico trails neighboring Arizona and Colorado.

How is this scored?

Regulatory Environment Score

-8 pts

How is this scored?

News ClipFort Worth Star-Telegram·Sunland Park, Doña Ana County, NM

Project Jupiter permit application public hearing scheduled for December

A public hearing on Project Jupiter's air quality permit has been rescheduled for Dec. 7 in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Yucca Growth Infrastructure LLC is seeking approval to use a natural gas pipeline to power thousands of Bloom Energy fuel cells at the Oracle- and OpenAI-backed data center campus, while environmental advocates challenge the permit over emissions and other concerns.

environmental government legal opposition electricity water

Oracle OpenAI

10/23/2026

News ClipAlbuquerque Journal·Hachita, Grant County, NM

Grant County pauses data center development for one year

Grant County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data center development by a 4-1 vote while the county considers regulations for proposed projects. The pause affects Granite Renewables' planned solar farm and data center near Hachita and followed concerns about groundwater, emissions, noise, light pollution, electricity demand and transparency.

moratorium opposition environmental electricity water government

10/22/2026

News ClipSanta Fe New Mexican·Grant County, NM

Grant County commissioners approve data center moratorium

Grant County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium barring data center development and related infrastructure in unincorporated areas of the county. The action followed opposition to Site Layer 1 LLC’s proposed project near Hachita and Playas, with residents and advocacy groups citing environmental, water, energy and transparency concerns.

moratorium opposition environmental electricity water government

10/22/2026

News ClipLas Cruces Sun-News·NM

New Mexico AG flags unverified comments in data center probe

New Mexico’s attorney general flagged unverified comments connected to an investigation into data centers. The available article information does not identify a specific data center project or locality beyond the statewide inquiry.

government

10/22/2026

News ClipNews From The States·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

Oracle says it will cut Project Jupiter emissions after New Mexico org seeks to toss permit case$

Oracle says it will reduce emissions from its Project Jupiter data center development in New Mexico after an environmental organization sought to dismiss or challenge the project's permit case. The dispute concerns the project's environmental impacts and permitting.

environmental legal opposition

Oracle

10/21/2026

News ClipThe Business Journals·Farmington, San Juan County, NM

Colorado developer buys 190 acres in Farmington for data center phase two$

A Colorado-based developer has purchased 190 acres in Farmington for the second phase of a planned data center development. The article does not identify the developer or provide additional project details.

announcement

10/20/2026

News ClipKUNM·Sunland Park, Doña Ana County, NM

Project Jupiter Data Center Air Quality Permit Hearing Set for December in Sunland Park, New Mexico

A public hearing on the air quality permit for Project Jupiter's proposed power source is scheduled to begin Dec. 7 in Sunland Park. Environmental groups have challenged the project, while new emissions modeling and Oracle's proposed emissions reductions could affect the proceedings.

environmental opposition legal government

Oracle

10/20/2026

News ClipSource New Mexico·Los Lunas, Valencia County, NM

Data center Project Jupiter air quality permit hearing set for early December$

A public hearing for Project Jupiter's air quality permit is scheduled for early December in New Mexico. The hearing concerns environmental permitting for the proposed data center project.

environmental government

10/19/2026

News ClipOrgan Mountain News·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

Oracle Faces Questions Over Energy and Emissions Plans for Project Jupiter Near Santa Teresa, New Mexico$

Oracle told the Doña Ana County Commission that its plans for Project Jupiter near Santa Teresa include developing 2 gigawatts of carbon-free electricity, but acknowledged the renewable projects may not directly power the data center. State permitting documents indicate the project's proposed natural gas system could generate about 8.8 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually at maximum operation, prompting questions about the project's environmental benefits and local impact.

environmental electricity government

Oracle

10/18/2026

News ClipEL PAÍS English·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

‘Water is for people!’: Voters across party lines push back against data centers ahead of the midterms

Residents and voters across the political spectrum are increasingly opposing data center development because of concerns about water use, electricity demand, pollution, noise and limited local benefits. The backlash is influencing elections and has led states to consider or adopt pauses and bans on new data center construction.

opposition environmental electricity water moratorium government

Amid new data, group moves to dismiss Project Jupiter permit

A group is seeking to have the permit for Project Jupiter dismissed after new data emerged. The available article information does not identify the project developer or provide details about the data or the permitting authority involved.

opposition

10/17/2026

News Clip0:21KVIA ABC-7·Doña Ana County, NM

Doña Ana County appoints data center Community Monitoring Committee members

Doña Ana County appointed 11 members to a Community Monitoring Committee for Project Jupiter. The committee will provide a forum for community input and oversight related to the data center project.

government announcement

10/17/2026

News Clip3:20KVIA ABC-7·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

ABC-7 gets behind-the-scenes look at Project Jupiter data center construction site in Santa Teresa

Oracle's Project Jupiter AI data center is under construction on a roughly 700-acre site in Santa Teresa, with about 4,400 construction workers involved. Oracle says the facility will use fuel cells and closed-loop cooling, while community questions remain about water use, energy, transparency and local impacts.

environmental electricity water announcement

Oracle

10/16/2026

News ClipSanta Fe New Mexican·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

Oracle touts Project Jupiter benefits during tour as wrangling over power continues

Oracle promoted Project Jupiter’s economic benefits during a media tour in Santa Teresa while the project’s air-quality permitting process faced another delay. Regulators and environmental advocates are scrutinizing emissions from the proposed natural-gas fuel-cell microgrid, while Oracle negotiates backup power arrangements with El Paso Electric that have raised concerns among county commissioners and residents.

announcement opposition environmental electricity water government

Oracle

10/16/2026

News ClipAlbuquerque Journal·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

New challenge to Project Jupiter air permit

New Energy Economy has asked a New Mexico hearing officer to dismiss or pause Project Jupiter’s air permit application after updated modeling showed pollutant concentrations could be twice as high as previously estimated. The project’s developer and Oracle say they will refine the design to reduce emissions by 35%, while the New Mexico Environment Department reviews the motion.

environmental opposition government

Oracle OpenAI

10/16/2026

News ClipBloomberg Law News·Doña Ana County, NM

Red States Join Fight Over Pipeline for Oracle AI Data Center

Attorneys general from 12 Republican-led states are urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve Energy Transfer’s proposed Green Chile natural gas pipeline in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. The pipeline would supply power to Oracle’s Project Jupiter AI data center, while New Mexico argues that regulators must review the pipeline and data center’s combined environmental effects.

environmental legal electricity opposition government

Oracle OpenAI

10/15/2026

News ClipTemple Daily Telegram·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

Three Data Centers Near El Paso Could Undermine Texas and New Mexico Climate Plans$

Three planned data centers near El Paso, including Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, could undermine climate goals adopted by New Mexico and El Paso officials. The projects raise concerns about whether increased development and emissions will conflict with plans to reduce greenhouse gases by 2050.

environmental

10/15/2026

News ClipAlbuquerque Journal·Doña Ana County, NM

AG: Many Project Jupiter comments remain unverified

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said many of the 17,419 public comments submitted on Project Jupiter’s air permit cannot yet be verified as genuine individual submissions. The review concerns a proposed natural-gas fuel-cell microgrid for the data center in Doña Ana County and could affect how the permit hearing officer evaluates public input.

environmental government electricity opposition

Oracle

10/15/2026

News ClipBloomberg.com·NM

12 States Push Back on New Mexico in Oracle Data Center Pipeline Fight$

Twelve states are pushing back against New Mexico in a dispute involving Oracle’s data center pipeline. The available article text does not provide details about the specific projects, locations, or nature of the states’ objections.

opposition government

Oracle

10/15/2026

News ClipKUNM·Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, NM

New Mexico AG questions public comments on Project Jupiter data center permit

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez found that a substantial share of public comments on Project Jupiter's pending air-quality permit may not have been submitted independently by members of the public. The investigation involves the Oracle and OpenAI data center planned for Santa Teresa, while Doña Ana County commissioners also pushed back on a proposed El Paso Electric backup-power agreement.

opposition environmental government electricity announcement

Oracle OpenAI

10/15/2026