Santa Teresa, N.M. – On September 2, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed motions in the state Supreme Court backing emergency petitions from two environmental organizations that challenge key permits for Project Jupiter, a high‑tech artificial‑intelligence data‑center campus being built by Yucca Growth Infrastructure at the Santa Teresa Industrial Park.
Legal backdrop
The New Mexico Supreme Court issued two unanimous orders on August 23 granting stays requested by New Energy Economy (NEE) and the Center for Biological Diversity. The first stay postponed a scheduled September 14 public hearing on Yucca Growth Infrastructure’s air‑quality permit application. The second stay halted the state’s approval of an emergency water‑well drilling permit that would supply groundwater to the construction site.
Attorney General’s arguments
In a news release, AG Torrez said, “The same rules must apply to everyone, whether you’re a family defending a water right or a global corporation with money and political clout. Notice and a fair hearing exist to protect the public, and bending those rules for a powerful applicant undermines public trust.” He added that his office will use every tool available to ensure state agencies follow the law and remain accountable to the people they serve.
Torrez’s motion contends that the New Mexico Environment Department violated the Air Quality Control Act by eliminating discovery and due‑process rights for parties challenging the permit. Regarding the water‑well permit, the AG argues there was no genuine emergency and that the Office of the State Engineer failed to schedule a hearing for nearly ten months while more than 100 million gallons of groundwater were withdrawn from the Lower Rio Grande Basin.
Environmental groups’ positions
New Energy Economy filed an August 19 emergency request for a stay and a petition for a writ of mandamus, urging the Supreme Court to order developers to comply with mandatory constitutional, statutory, and regulatory duties before the proceeding continues. Executive Director Mariel Nanasi said, “When there is no other facility like this anywhere in the world, New Mexico should be asking more questions—not preventing the public from asking them.”
The Center for Biological Diversity’s petition challenges the state’s approval of emergency drilling authorized in October 2025, asserting that the well‑drilling decision bypassed required public input and threatens the region’s groundwater resources.
Legislative support
A number of state legislators filed briefs supporting NEE’s petition, signaling broader political concern over the permitting process and its impact on New Mexico’s water and air quality standards.
Current status
Both parties submitted responses by the Supreme Court’s September 2 deadline. As of the afternoon of September 4, the court had not issued further orders or scheduled a hearing on either matter.
The outcome of these challenges could shape how large‑scale technology projects are reviewed in New Mexico, reinforcing the principle that even powerful developers must adhere to the same procedural safeguards that protect families and communities.
Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
