Data center projects in El Paso, New Mexico hit permitting delays

Oracle's Project Jupiter data center in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, faces a significant permitting hurdle after the New Mexico Supreme Court lifted its stay on the air permit proceeding for the facility's fuel-cell power plant, according to El Paso Matters.

The court's decision allows the state to restart the permitting process and schedule a new hearing. Project Jupiter still does not have the air permit required to operate, but the process to obtain one is moving forward again.

Project Jupiter, which is under construction, requires an on-site power plant because it will not connect to the electrical grid. The permitting delay represents one of several major obstacles both Oracle and Meta must clear before their data center projects become operational.

Meta is developing a separate data center facility in Northeast El Paso. Both companies have recently issued press releases announcing new donations and investments in the El Paso region as they advance their projects, according to El Paso Matters.

Beyond permitting, the data centers face questions about electricity supply, water usage, infrastructure capacity, and local oversight. As of mid-September, both projects remain in different stages of development, with Meta's facility and Project Jupiter each requiring regulatory clearance before operations can begin.

El Paso Matters has extensively reported on the potential economic impacts of the data center projects, as well as environmental and infrastructure concerns they have raised for communities on both sides of the international border.