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Last Update: 10/27/2026 at 5:34 AM EST
Data Center Siting and Moratoriums
Coverage from KRQE, NPR, and others
Local and state responses to data-center development range from temporary moratoriums to zoning, siting, and environmental-review standards.
In New Mexico, lawmakers have proposed a statewide pause while agencies develop criteria for assessing water and energy use, emissions, ratepayer effects, and community benefits; counties including Socorro and Santa Fe have also considered or adopted local pauses. Project Jupiter in southern New Mexico has figured in debate over permits, power generation, and resource impacts. Together, these examples illustrate the policy questions communities face when evaluating large data-center projects.
Looking Back
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All Articles39 articles
Important
New Mexico lawmakers examined Project Jupiter's water demands and revised cooling plans during a recent hearing in New Mexico.
9/1/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Oracle and OpenAI tenants are part of Project Jupiter in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, as officials weigh jobs and investment against drought and water-use concerns.
6/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard rejected Jason Bak's proposed Aetherion data center at Spaceport America in Sierra County, citing the county's moratorium.
9/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Alamosa city officials approved a one-year moratorium on data centers and utility-scale battery storage systems in Alamosa, Colorado, on Wednesday while planning staff revise land-use regulations.
8/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Sierra County commissioners approved an 18-month moratorium on data centers in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, after resident concerns about water and environmental impacts.
7/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners voted on July 2, 2026 to impose an 18-month data center development moratorium, cutting the review threshold to one megawatt and tightening environmental protections.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Mexico lawmakers announced a next-session plan for a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data centers, citing water, energy, emissions, ratepayer impacts, and Project Jupiter controversy.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners adopted an 18-month data center development moratorium on Tuesday, lowering the threshold to one megawatt while assessing water, land, and grid impacts.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners adopted an immediate 18-month moratorium on data center permits on Tuesday while staff develop water, energy, and noise regulations.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Energy Economy opposes Blackstone's $11.5 billion PNM acquisition and Project Jupiter air-permit actions in New Mexico amid hyperscale data center and power proposal growth.
7/16/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
New Mexico gubernatorial candidates Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull presented competing data center policies Thursday, with Haaland proposing a statewide moratorium and Hull supporting local approvals amid Project Jupiter lawsuits.
9/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Mexico Democratic lawmakers presented a possible statewide data center moratorium to a legislative committee on August 11 in Socorro.
8/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
New Mexico state coverage highlights Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County amid air-quality permitting disputes and emerging local moratorium actions.
7/14/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez and Melanie Stansbury pursued federal data-center transparency measures and water-use disclosures in New Mexico in 2026.
8/25/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Rio Grande County commissioners unanimously approved a year-long data center moratorium and large-scale facility prohibition Wednesday in Rio Grande County, Colorado.
8/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Sierra County, New Mexico imposed an 18-month moratorium on new data center development on Tuesday after a unanimous county commission vote amid concerns tied to Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County.
7/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Rosa County commissioners in Florida held a July 9 hearing and advanced a one-year data center development moratorium to prepare a legally defensible permanent policy tied to groundwater and grid concerns.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Mexico lawmakers propose a 2027-session moratorium on new large-scale data centers while water-use, energy-demand, and emissions rules are developed, as Project Jupiter proceeds in Santa Teresa.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Food & Water Watch urged a New Mexico data-center moratorium during Project Jupiter air-quality permitting efforts amid concerns about power use and water impacts.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Mexico Democratic lawmakers propose a statewide moratorium on large-scale data centers next session, citing water, energy, emissions, and microgrid compliance concerns.
7/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Mexico state senators scheduled an Aug. 11 legislative listening session in Las Cruces to address permitting questions for Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County.
7/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners approved an 18-month moratorium on data center developments in New Mexico to prepare water and grid impact guardrails.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners proposed a one-year moratorium on large data center projects to address water and energy use concerns, scheduled for commission consideration in Santa Fe.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Socorro County commissioners adopted a one-year moratorium in New Mexico after residents opposed a Green Data proposal involving a data center and solar array.
6/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners in New Mexico considered a year-long moratorium to pause new data center development while land-use and environmental standards are prepared.
5/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Santa Fe County commissioners plan a late-June vote on a yearlong moratorium after a public hearing on data center development approvals and environmental standards.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
GreenLatinos raised environmental justice objections in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, after BLM expedited a natural gas pipeline enabling Project Jupiter to proceed toward completion in August 2026.
5/21/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Mexico lawmakers Angelica Rubio and Micaela Lara Cadena announced plans Tuesday in Socorro for a statewide data center moratorium targeting concerns surrounding Project Jupiter near Santa Teresa.
8/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
A recent Albuquerque Journal poll found that most New Mexico voters oppose new large data centers and support a temporary statewide moratorium pending impact standards.
9/2/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Socorro County commissioners approved a one-year data center moratorium in response to public backlash, while New Mexico extended Project Jupiter air-permit comment to July 6.
6/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Socorro County commissioners considered a one-year data center moratorium after a May 19 New Mexico Tech community meeting raised water and land-use concerns.
5/25/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
PNM official Laurie Williams told New Mexico lawmakers in 2025 that data centers such as Project Jupiter could help fund grid upgrades if tariff and permitting protections guard residential ratepayers.
7/14/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Food and Water Watch urged New Mexico lawmakers in 2027 legislative planning to adopt a data center moratorium over projected air pollution and water use at hyperscale campuses like Project Jupiter.
7/7/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
New Mexico lawmakers propose next-year legislation for a statewide moratorium on large-scale data centers, citing water, emissions, and utility ratepayer standards amid Project Jupiter controversy near Santa Teresa.
7/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
New Mexico lawmakers announced a 2027 plan for a statewide moratorium on large-scale data center projects to build frameworks for water, energy, and emissions evaluation.
7/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
San Juan County and Farmington officials are assessing potential data center development in the 2020s while seeking public input on power, water, jobs and land-use effects in northwest New Mexico.
8/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Food and Water Watch asked New Mexico lawmakers to adopt a statewide moratorium during 2027 legislative planning, citing water and emissions concerns tied to Project Jupiter and other hyperscale facilities.
7/11/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
Deb Haaland proposed a moratorium on new large-scale data centers in New Mexico, while Gregg Hull opposed the measure during the gubernatorial campaign.
9/18/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
New Mexico Democratic lawmakers plan a 2027 statewide moratorium on new large-scale data centers pending water and electricity impact assessments, amid local project backlash.
7/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General