New Mexico activists rally against Oracle’s multibillion-dollar data center
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA)-- Following three days of statewide organizing, activists from across New Mexico and across the country gathered at New Mexico State University to protest Oracle’s multi-billion-dollar planned "Project Jupiter" data center proposed for Doña Ana County.
Organized by Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA) alongside the "Stop Project Jupiter" coalition, the demonstration featured a lineup of six speakers addressing concerns about the project’s long-term environmental impact, air quality, and water security.
For longtime residents living near the proposed site, the scale of the multi-billion-dollar development is a major concern.
“This is terrifying on every level,” said Judith, who has lived in Doña Ana County for over 40 years. “Life... it's going to be taking life. Our water.”
Demonstrators argued that bringing resource-intensive artificial intelligence infrastructure into the Chihuahuan Desert poses unacceptable risks for future generations.
“Pulling the plug on AI so that there is clean air and clean water for us to be able to pass down to future generations of our children,” said Jonathan Juarez, an organizer with the movement.
Speakers also voiced skepticism regarding economic promises made by large tech corporations entering rural communities.
“We've seen firsthand what it looks like when a corporation comes in promising prosperity, promising jobs, and how they leave us,” one speaker told the crowd.
In response to inquiries regarding the protest, Oracle provided a statement outlining its environmental commitments for the project, reading:
"Oracle is and remains committed to developing Project Jupiter responsibly and protecting New Mexico’s air and water. We replaced the original gas turbine design with Bloom Energy fuel cells to significantly reduce local air pollutants, minimize operational water use, and better align with New Mexico’s clean energy goals. Most recently, in response to questions from the New Mexico Environment Department and public feedback, we proposed an enforceable operating cap that would reduce the microgrid’s permitted emissions by approximately 35% compared with the previous proposal.
We have also issued a request for proposals for 2 gigawatts of new renewable energy in New Mexico, including solar, wind and geothermal projects, prioritizing projects that can deliver energy on an accelerated timeline. This effort supports our commitment to achieve 100% carbon-free energy matching for Project Jupiter by 2031 and to meet New Mexico’s renewable energy goals before 2045.
Project Jupiter’s cooling and fuel cell systems are designed to be closed loop cooling, with an initial fill followed by limited maintenance needs. Including the initial fills, the estimated average annual operational water use for these systems is equivalent to approximately nine U.S. households. Public drinking water will be used only for everyday workplace needs, such as kitchens and restrooms. Separately, we have launched an initiative to save more water than Project Jupiter uses in New Mexico.
We have also committed to a public dashboard that will give the community visibility into the project’s environmental performance, including air, noise, heat, light, and water, once operational. We will continue listening, sharing information and working with the community to deliver a responsible project for southern New Mexico.
The facts already demonstrate the significant and growing economic benefits of this responsible data center project: more than $100 million in state and county tax revenue generated to date, including $50 million for local water infrastructure; 4,393 workers employed to date, including 1,230 New Mexico residents; more than $13 billion in projected long-term economic impact; and more than 7,000 expected construction jobs and 1,500 ongoing project-supported jobs. This is in addition to our philanthropic partnerships with local organizations including Casa de Peregrinos, Roadrunner Food Bank, the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, and the Moms on Board organization driving development of Dino Dig Park." - Oracle Spokesperson
