Doña Ana County residents criticize local, state officials for advancing Project Jupiter

The $165 billion AI development that will support OpenAI and Oracle has drawn criticism for months due to issues with transparency, claims of mismanagement by county and state elected officials and rushed permit approvals by other state agencies.

“This is about money,” Cervantes said during the meeting. “This is a predatory project taking advantage of people like us that are the least able to fight it.”

Cervantes suggested that if such a project were proposed in Santa Fe, Albuquerque or elsewhere in the northern part of the state, it would have been quickly halted – and that county commissioners would be voted out of office.

Taylor Axtell, a conservation photographer in Las Cruces, asked the panel about the feasibility of having the Office of the State Auditor investigate every aspect of the data center project, including elected and appointed officials.

“We want our county commissioners investigated,” Axtell said. “They need to be held accountable. If this is illegal, would this also cause the project to fall apart?”

Residents also voiced concerns over security for personal information and for banks and hospitals; that impacts to children and future generations are being overlooked; that the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer granted emergency water usage permits; and that the New Mexico Environment Department will similarly grant air quality permits to the project. Another resident questioned whether there was a contingency plan in place to remediate problems and pollution if the project fails.

State Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Mesilla), who attended but was not part of the panel, told Source New Mexico that she was disappointed that there was no representation from state agencies at the meeting to join in the conversation with the community.

“That’s disrespectful, it’s disappointing, it’s not government working. It’s government running away from a dirty deal they made,” she told Source. “Our people, our neighbors, our familia, they’re clear, they’re compelling, they’re articulate. They have learned up about what’s at stake here and it’s so important when elected officials come together to listen. Too bad the state wasn’t here to own their responsibility and be accountable to the decisions they’re making.”

Lara Cadena and Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces) spoke to members of the interim Science, Technology and Telecommunications Committee in Socorro earlier Tuesday about their plans to introduce a statewide data center moratorium bill early on in the January 2027 legislative session. Hamblen told the crowd Tuesday evening that she intends to sponsor the bill on the senate side.

Steinborn pointed to his work in the last regular session on the Microgrid Oversight Act, which died in committee, but intended to give the Public Regulatory Commission oversight over microgrids and require the use of renewable energy in such projects. He told attendees that he plans to reintroduce the bill in 2027, along with a bill requiring more transparency in lobbying activities.

Soules added that data center projects are about greed and are a “mechanism to continue the oil and gas industry in New Mexico and give them a market for their fuel.” He said since the federal government has rolled back greenhouse gas regulations, it is up to the state to regulate and ensure state laws have enforcement mechanisms to keep companies accountable.

“If you want to get the attention of people who are focused on money, you tax them and you tax them hard,” Cervantes, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said.

When asked what New Mexico residents could do, he reminded voters that several seats on the Doña Ana County Commission are up for election in November, as are legislators, the governorship and the State Land Commissioner, all of whom play a part in holding data center projects accountable.