Acoma, LLC [“who!?”] has applied for permission to generate as much gas-fired electricity each year as the rest of New Mexico generates. Forever.
Part of Project Jupiter, Acoma is a separate LLC to limit liability. One wonders if county leadership awakened long enough to make sure that if Acoma screws up, citizens can be made whole.
This 2700-2800 Megawatts of natural gas power generation is bigger than expected. Engineer Phil Simpson says Jupiter’s plants will emit nearly twice the CO2e as all present electricity generation in NM. (Proponents mentioned 700 MW of gas generation, with additional generation solar plus battery.)
That makes our “Energy Transition Act” a pathetic joke. If we otherwise cut non-renewables use to 0 by 2045, the state would emit as much poison then as now – or more. Proponents and the County misled folks by saying their plans were "fully compliant" with the ETA. That sounds like “We’ll meet carbon free ETA standards by 2045. But Jupiter isn’t violating the ETA because the ETA exempts gas-fired plants that don’t’ sell power to others.)
Inspired by Jupiter’s good fortune, other big companies are already badgering the PRC for exceptions. New Mexico’s effort to fight climate craziness is dead in the water. If our Governor, a big force in making this happen, has a political future, she better get appointed to high position. We New Mexicans sure won’t elect her. Her pals and cabinet secretaries leaving to work for Project Jupiter is legal, but as unappetizing as most government/industry revolving doors.
My candid assessment of how my friends on the county commission handled this can’t be printed in a family newspaper. Yeah, they got sabotaged by business-development-mad staff. They violated public records, open meetings and other ethics, and probably laws. It ain’t right for commissioners to be exchanging documents marked “Secret” or “Confidential,” that we don’t see, or to be voting on incomplete contracts, or to have a “final” public vote (speedily!) then have one commissioner meet privately with proponents to finalize the deal. Credit Commissioner Susana Chapparo with speaking out, and requesting a more sensible and lawful process!
There are lawsuits, and complaints to the Attorney-General about the Open Meetings Act. Maybe the AG will find violations; but likely the major result will be a re-vote in an open meeting. I hope we can effect some change. I doubt it.
Basically, Big Money told staff, “We’ll make you heroes by bringing this $600 billion project to the south county, with lots of jobs!” (Such A.I. data campuses ain’t usually so great for local jobs, either.) None of us can imagine $600 billion. So everyone bowed. When Big Money said, “Listen, if you try to negotiate reasonable limits on what we do to people’s air and water, and the atmosphere, we’re outta here. Going elsewhere.” Nonsense, because A.I. is growing and because some other communities are wising up and pushing back on this stuff. But saying “$600bill” ends the meaningful discussion.
We should have said, “Great, let’s look at details and work out what works for us all. Because humans and industry are poisoning the atmosphere, we have to generate most electricity by renewables, not gas.” (Jupiter’s chief honcho told me, in the commission meeting room, the campus would use mostly solar – but the county didn’t bother to get it in writing.)
This is a huge mess we might get a chance to clean up.
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[The above column appeared Sunday, 21 December 2025, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper's website and will presently appear on KRWG’s website (under Local Viewpoints). A shortened and sharpened radio commentary version of this Sunday column will air during the week on KRWG (90.1 FM) and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM / http://www.lccommunityradio.org/).
[We probably could get one of those news / betting sites to make odds, but I would bet that the AG will find an OMA violation, although there’s no certainty. If such is found, our commission doing any better with a second chance is kind of a long shot. But we should all persevere. ]
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