By Kent Paterson
If you reside in Albuquerque, have you seen a television ad for Project Jupiter? Heard a radio spot? How about a project canvasser knocking on your door? Have you been approached by a stranger at a shopping outlet who wants to hand you a flyer touting the AI data center feverishly under construction in the New Mexico border community of Santa Teresa, which is located 200 plus miles from where you live, work and shop? Recently, some residents of New Mexico’s biggest city have indeed reported encountering flesh and blood Project Jupiter promoters.
It’s all part of an expanding public relations battle over the controversial Project Jupiter data center that’s being developed for Oracle and Open AI. The massive complex near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry on the U.S-Mexico border likewise forms part of the $500 billion Project Stargate rolled out earlier this year by President Trump, Oracle CEO and Trump donor Larry Ellison, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Masayoshi Yasumoto, head of the Japan-based investment group SoftBank.
The proliferation of Project Jupiter messaging and canvassing hit a high note as the public comment period nears a July 6 deadline for a New Mexico Environment Department air quality permit the developers will need before the Santa Teresa facility can become operational. Flyers passed out in Albuquerque appeal on the reader to “Stand up for New Mexico” and scan a code that will whisk a supportive message to state regulators.
After withdrawing previous air quality permit applications, developers contend their new and more environmentally friendly application will seek the green light for a new energy source, Bloom Energy fuel cells, which will significantly reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Opponents like the New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) vigorously challenge the claims, with the NMELC saying the proposed energy source “will essentially be a natural gas power plant” and “emit more greenhouse gas pollution than NM’s largest metro areas combined.”
Furthermore, the microgrid planned for Project Jupiter will pour out “at least 124 tons of VOCs per year which will exacerbate already dangerous levels of ozone and likely violate ambient air quality standards.”
Even before the Santa Teresa data center and two others planned for neighboring El Paso are up and running, the commonly shared El Paso-Ciudad Juárez-Sunland Park/Santa Teresa airshed consistently ranks as among the most polluted in North America, according to reports from IQAir, the American Lung Association and PanAmerican Health Organization.
Bearing Oracle’s name, the literature distributed in Albuquerque refers to 4,000 construction jobs and 1,500 “ongoing” jobs (double the 750 permanent jobs repeatedly mentioned by promoters since 2025) connected to Project Jupiter. Of course, jobs will be located in Doña Ana County hours from Albuquerque, not Bernalillo County where the Duke City is located. The appeals don’t mention that Albuquerque and Bernalillo County won’t see a nickel of the “$360 million to improve local schools, infrastructure and services or the “additional $50 million to improve local water services.”
That money is pledged to Doña Ana County and only Doña Ana County in legally binding agreements between the county government and data center developers. One flyer makes a statewide pitch, touting “The digital infrastructure that enables financial transactions, online learning, healthcare, communications, and innovations New Mexicans rely on every day.”
(As the data center/AI issue spreads like wildfire across the overheating planet, burning questions swirl around widely anticipated job losses as a result of automation in New Mexico, Texas and elsewhere. More and more observers and analysts wonder whether Oracle and its industry cousins will pay for employment search assistance, career retraining, extended unemployment benefits, or perhaps even a guaranteed social income from a collective pie.)
NMED is accepting public comments for the record through the end of Monday, July 6.
Albuquerque Elected Official Denounces False Comments
Reports have surfaced that some pro-Project Jupiter public comments submitted to the NMED were falsely attributed. For instance, on July 3, Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Feibelkorn released this statement:
“Today at 10:13 a.m., someone submitted public comments in my name expressing support for Project Jupiter’s emissions permits. I did not submit those comments, nor did I authorize anyone to use my name.
“I am outraged that someone would impersonate me in a public process – especially to advocate for a project that I believe is harmful to our environment, our communities, and animals. Using another person’s name without their knowledge or consent undermines public trust and the integrity of the public comment process.
“Let me be absolutely clear: I did not submit comments in support of Project Jupiter, and I do not support Project Jupiter. In my view, the company has not been truthful with the community about its plans and has attempted to manufacture public support through misleading and deceptive advertising campaigns….”
Posted on the NMED public comment portal, the statement attributed to Fiebelkorn that drew her ire is virtually a replication of the pro-Project Jupiter literature passed out to Albuquerque residents:
“I am writing to express my support for Project Jupiter, which I believe offers significant benefits for our community
“Project Jupiter is poised to bring substantial economic growth to Dona Ana County. It is anticipated to create 4,000 construction jobs and 1,500 project-supported jobs. Furthermore, Project Jupiter has committed $50 million to help repair, upgrade, and improve local water systems; $360 million in direct support for schools, infrastructure, and local services; and $6.9 million to fund workforce development initiatives along with supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces, clean drinking water, the local community college, and habitat restoration.
“I urge the New Mexico Environment Department to approve this important project.”
The name heading of the Albuquerque elected official’s supposed public comment is correctly spelled. However, the last name spelling of the signature contains a slight misspelling: Tammy “Fibelkorn,” instead of Fiebelkorn.
Anyone interested in making a comment about Project Jupiter’s pending air quality permit, whether pro or con, can email their opinion to NMED at the below link, ideally before the close of Monday, July 6. You’ll then find the correct spot right at the top titled Yucca Growth Infrastructures, LLC-YGI Microgrid. In bilingual New Mexico, a section is reserved for Spanish-language comments.
https://nmed.commentinput.com/comment/landingPage?lang=EN
You can also check this portal to view previous public comments-and see if anyone has swiped your name. Forgers might have slightly misspelled it too.