New Mexico Data Center Intel

Recent New Mexico data center news

• Apr 28, 2026

  Environmental groups file protest against pipeline to power Project Jupiter

  Environmental groups filed a protest with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against Transwestern Pipeline Companies’ effort to fast-track the 17-mile, $60.2 million Green Chile Pipeline to supply natural gas to Project Jupiter’s power plant.

  • Main action: Environmental groups (including the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter) have filed a protest with FERC asking that Transwestern Pipeline not be allowed to begin construction under a FERC “Blanket Certificate” and instead that a full environmental review be completed. The pipeline is a 17-mile, $60.2 million project intended to transfer gas from an existing El Paso Natural Gas pipeline to Project Jupiter’s power plant in Southern Doña Ana County. The New Mexico State Land Commissioner denied Transwestern permission to build on state land in March, forcing a reroute.
  • Background and details: Transwestern/ Energy Transfer documents submitted to FERC state the project “is not expected to have a significant adverse impact on the quality of human health, the environment, or affected landowners.” Protesters, represented by environmental lawyer David Baake, contend the Project Jupiter power plant would be the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in New Mexico and raise air quality and Clean Air Act compliance concerns. The New Mexico Environment Department has until July 21 to conduct a full environmental review and has committed to hold public hearings (dates TBA). Oracle, BorderPlex, and Bloom Energy announced an updated plan using fuel cell technology to power the AI data center, per a press release.
• Apr 27, 2026

  Oracle, BorderPlex, and Bloom Energy to Power Project Jupiter with Cleaner, Water-Efficient Fuel Cell Technology

  Oracle and BorderPlex Digital Assets announced Project Jupiter will utilize Bloom Energy fuel cells to fully power the AI data center campus in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

  • Main announcement: Oracle and BorderPlex are replacing the project’s planned gas turbines and diesel generators with a Bloom Energy fuel cell microgrid supporting up to 2.45 GW of installed Bloom fuel cell capacity, consolidating the facility into a single microgrid campus, and targeting approximately 92% reduction in NOₓ emissions with negligible water use. Oracle will bear all energy costs for the project and construction is reported to be moving forward on schedule.
  • Background and details: The project includes closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling to minimize day-to-day water use; community commitments of $50 million for local water system repairs/upgrades, $360 million in direct support for schools/infrastructure/local services, and $6.9 million for workforce development and community programs; Oracle expects 4,000 construction jobs and 1,500 ongoing positions over the life of the project.
• Apr 27, 2026

  Powering AI Data Centers: How Fuel Cells Work and Why They Matter

  Bloom Energy announces fuel cells are central to the energy plan for Oracle’s Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

  • Main announcement: Bloom Energy states that fuel cells are central to the new energy plan for Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, designed to minimize community impact by reducing emissions, water use, and noise; the blog positions Bloom fuel cells as an on-site, modular power solution for AI data centers.
  • Background and details: Bloom notes its fuel cell systems have served for nearly two decades across hospitals, college campuses, data centers, and manufacturing facilities in the U.S.; systems are modular and scalable, enable microgrid operation to protect ratepayers, produce power via non-combustion electrochemical processes, and claim reductions in pollutants like SOx, NOx, and particulate matter.
• Apr 27, 2026

  Project Jupiter Water Facts: How We Source and Use Water Responsibly

  Oracle announces Project Jupiter water-use and community investment commitments.

  • Main announcement: Oracle states Project Jupiter will not use public drinking water or drill new wells; it will use non-potable industrial well water purchased under contract from an existing New Mexico rights holder, with cooling via closed-loop, non-evaporative direct-to-chip systems, and office potable use expected ~20,000 gallons/day and capped at 60,000 gallons/day.
  • Community investments & power details: Oracle commits $50 million for water-system improvements and $360 million for schools, infrastructure, and local services in Doña Ana County; the microgrid uses Bloom Energy fuel cells requiring a one-time 960,000-gallon startup fill and no water during normal operations; Oracle also signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
• Apr 27, 2026

  Homeowners Say Ezee Fiber Damaged Homes, Communicated Poorly

  Houston-area homeowners allege Ezee Fiber damaged properties and failed to make promised repairs.

  • Main allegation: Homeowners near Houston’s Energy Corridor report cracked driveways, damaged utility/water lines, and unresponsive communication from Ezee Fiber; company spokesperson Jim Schwartz responded saying the company is committed to building Houston’s fiber internet network with respect for neighbors and their properties.
  • Background & prior actions:Ezee Fiber lost Better Business Bureau accreditation last year after similar complaints; the City of Albuquerque issued a stop-work order in May (last year) that remained in place for two months; company VP Matt DeMuro said some water lines are “unlocatable” because Texas utilities are not required to mark them.
• Apr 24, 2026

  The POWER Interview: How the Oil and Gas Industry is Advancing Geothermal

  XGS Energy has announced a 115-MW development deal with California Community Power and is developing a 150-MW, $1.2-billion partnership with Meta in New Mexico.

  • Main announcement: XGS signed a 115 MW development agreement with California Community Power granting those members first rights to the electricity produced, and a 150-MW partnership with Meta described as a $1.2-billion capital project in New Mexico; the Meta project is two-phased and both phases are expected to be operational by 2030, and will supply Meta’s data center operations via the PNM utility grid.
  • Background and validation: XGS completed a commercial demonstration of its water-independent closed-loop system at the Coso geothermal field running continuously for more than 3,000 hours using its Thermal Reach Enhancement (TRE) and oil-and-gas-derived drilling and casing technologies; the article also cites an IEA finding that geothermal financing reached nearly $2.2 billion last year (up from $22 million in 2018) and references federal incentives (clean energy tax credits retained in the 2025 U.S. budget and DOE’s Enhanced Geothermal Shot).
• Apr 23, 2026

  Kairos breaks ground on Hermes 2

  The US-based Kairos Power has broken ground on the Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

  • Groundbreaking announced and project scope: Kairos Power announced the Hermes 2 groundbreaking; Hermes 2 is a two-unit demonstration plant (35MWt each) that will supply up to 50MW-electrical to the TVA grid under Kairos Power’s deal with Google. The NRC issued a construction permit for Hermes 2 in November 2024, and Hermes 1 (non-power 35MWt test reactor) had first concrete poured in May 2025. This announcement is a new, on-site groundbreaking event and confirms ongoing construction activity at the Oak Ridge demonstration campus.

  • Construction, fabrication and timeline details:Barnard Construction Company is the general contractor; reactor equipment modules will be fabricated at Kairos Power’s Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque and shipped to Oak Ridge. Hermes 2 will use modular construction (precast concrete) and a seismically isolated foundation, will be built on the former K-33 site (land acquired in 2021), and is the immediate precursor to planned 188MWt commercial plants starting in 2030. ETU testing milestones: ETU 1.0 molten salt testing in Albuquerque; ETU 2.0 installed in 2025; ETU 3.0 installed in Oak Ridge in July 2025.

• Apr 22, 2026

  Governor establishes Energy Affordability and Grid Reliability Council – 13-member council designed to protect ratepayers, modernize the grid 

  Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed an executive order establishing the New Mexico Energy Affordability and Grid Reliability Council.

  • Council established by executive order: 13-member council appointed to protect ratepayers and modernize the grid, administratively attached to the Department of Finance and Administration; members will serve without compensation other than per diem and mileage and must deliver a final report with legislative, regulatory, and administrative recommendations by November 1, 2026.
  • Scope and membership: The Council will evaluate Ratepayer protection (including impacts from data centers and onshore manufacturing), Grid modernization and reliability, Clean energy progress to advance New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act net-zero goals, and Permitting efficiency; membership includes state agency leaders, utility executives, rural cooperative and tribal energy experts (e.g., Don Tarry, Kelly A. Tomblin, Zoe Lees, Sandra Begay Keeto, Rep. Meredith Dixon).
• Apr 22, 2026

  Small, connected data centers will power AI, a builder says

  Gray Wolf Data Centers, launched by Pete Sacco (founder and CEO of PTS Data Center Solutions), is building a proof-of-concept cluster of small data centers in Connecticut to support low-latency AI inferencing.

  • Main announcement: Gray Wolf is developing a distributed model of clustered small data centers (targeting 5-20 MW per site) as an alternative to hyperscale facilities; the first proof-of-concept is in Connecticut, and Sacco proposes building many 10-MW sites (example: 120 x 10-MW instead of a 1,200-MW plant) that operate as a distributed system/DAO.
  • Background and details: Sacco cited interconnection waits up to five years and community pushback as drivers; planned local power options include grid interconnection, microgrids (solar + batteries), waste-to-energy, a potential proliferation of hydrogen, and eventual use of small nuclear (~8 years) and fusion in the longer term; he claims generation at sub 10 cents/kWh with options to sell power at ~20 cents/kWh, contrasting with local retail rates like ~30 cents/kWh in Connecticut.
• Apr 17, 2026

  AI Infrastructure Brief: Power, Capital, and the Feeling That Something Is Tightening

  Matt Vincent (Data Center Frontier) summarized the week’s announcements showing an accelerating AI data-center buildout paired with mounting power and coordination constraints.

  • Main observation: The industry is prioritizing power and speed: major deals and project announcements include Bloom Energy and Oracle planning up to 2.8 GW of deployment, Aligned Data Centers breaking ground on a 540 MW Project Caprock, an EdgeConneX affiliate proposing a 430 MW natural gas plant in New Albany, Ohio, proposals for 2 GW in New Mexico and 1.2 GW in Irwin County, Georgia, and Microsoft expanding datacenter operations in Cheyenne. The Maine legislature passed a temporary, exemption-inclusive ban on data centers, signaling emerging social-license constraints.
  • Capital and implementation details: Financial moves include Switch raising $768 million via ABS, Fluidstack reported in talks for a $1 billion round at an $18 billion valuation, and Jane Street signing a $6 billion AI cloud agreement with CoreWeave; CoreWeave also expanded a multi-year relationship with Anthropic. Utilities are signing long-term power agreements (e.g., NiSource with Alphabet and expanded ties with Amazon). AWS has launched “Project Houdini” to accelerate construction timelines. All items are factual recaps of announcements and reports from the week (no speculative outcomes included).