Oracle changes power plan for Project Jupiter data center to lower emissions

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) -- Software company Oracle announced an update to its power plan for Project Jupiter, an artificial intelligence data center planned in Doña Ana County.

Wednesday, Oracle said it filed an application to use Bloom Energy fuel cell technology, replacing its original design involving gas turbines and diesel generators.

Fuel cells generate electricity without combustion, Oracle said, lowering emissions and water use.

“Our updated plan delivers reliable on-site power with a smaller environmental footprint and avoids using public drinking water for power generation or data center cooling," said Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

Compared to the project's previous air permit application, the new plan is expected to reduce NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emissions by 92%, Oracle said. The system also requires minimal water for power generation after its first fill up.

Oracle said it will pay for its own power and fund energy infrastructure and electricity costs to avoid increasing residents' electricity rates.

Oracle said the New Mexico Environment Department marked the permit complete and it will move to the next phase: public review. New Mexico residents can share their thoughts about the application through a 30-day public process.

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