As AI Data Centers Target the Water-Scarce Borderlands, New Mexico Invests in Desalination

Meanwhile, community members worry about stealth approval processes and a lack of transparency.

Doña Ana County, New Mexico, where the Project Jupiter data center complex will be built. Photo: Caroline Tracey

New Mexico will soon host a massive new data center backed by Oracle and OpenAI. Known as Project Jupiter, it was approved September 19 by the Doña Ana Board of County Commissioners in a 4–1 vote. The “hyperscale” complex will be located just …