Agenda item seeks bond authority for hyperscale project; key questions on water and power remain unanswered

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - Doña Ana County commissioners on Tuesday will take up a proposal tied to Project Jupiter, a massive development described as a hyperscale artificial intelligence data center campus.

The agenda item calls for authorizing publication of a notice of hearing on a proposed ordinance granting industrial revenue bond financing and Local Economic Development Act assistance. State economic development officials are backing the project, which promises at least 750 full-time jobs.

According to the county’s meeting packet, Project Jupiter would include construction of four large-scale data centers along with a microgrid, battery storage and power generation facilities. Several Delaware-based companies are listed as the entities behind the project.

The potential financing package is eye-catching: up to $165 billion in taxable industrial revenue bonds. The project site has not been disclosed, except that it would be located in unincorporated areas of the county.

What’s missing from the documents is equally notable: no details on projected water usage, electricity demand or potential impacts on local ratepayers. Similar proposals elsewhere in the Southwest have drawn criticism for high resource demands, with some rejected by local governments over water concerns.

If commissioners approve publication of notice Tuesday, a public hearing on the proposed bond ordinance is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.