SOCORRO
NM Tech halts controversial data center project
The university is pausing the massive development after facing significant community opposition
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SOCORRO 鈥� New Mexico Tech will not pursue construction of the proposed Green Data Center, President Michael Jackson announced Tuesday.
The university remains open to revisiting the project, he said.
The project would generate 2 gigawatts of base-load power, with a goal of delivering 100 megawatts per month, according to Green Data CEO Jason Bak. The project includes battery storage for 24/7 operation and a water-neutral design.
鈥淒uring the initial phase of this process we identified several material considerations that led both parties to mutually conclude that proceeding under the current framework is not the right path at this time,鈥� Jackson wrote in a letter addressed to the NMT community.
Since the project was announced in March, hundreds of local residents have attended public meetings to urge officials to halt development. More than 200 people attended NMT鈥檚 first town hall on the project May 19.
鈥淲e are very happy with NMT鈥檚 decision not to continue a relationship with Green Data Centers,鈥� said Mary Ruff, a member of Inform Socorro. 鈥淣evertheless, the community needs to be vigilant to maintain our rural way of life.鈥�
On June 9, Socorro County commissioners are expected to vote on a one-year moratorium on all data centers and data center infrastructure.
Jackson cited complex issues, including a lack of contiguous land, a lengthy due diligence process, community concerns and a lack of data from a similar operation, as reasons for the university鈥檚 decision not to pursue the project.
Bak confirmed the decision was mutual but had no comment at this time.
鈥淓ven if we consider entertaining a revised, scaled or phased proposal in the future, we would follow our standard institutional process for evaluating the feasibility of an initiative that includes gathering feedback and questions from all constituents 鈥� campus, local, state, and federal,鈥� Jackson wrote.
Jackson added that he is committed to pursuing initiatives and partnerships that align with the university and continuing to explore alternatives that can enhance research and funding opportunities, specifically geothermal energy projects.
鈥淎s the largest employer in the County of Socorro, exploring such opportunities and evaluating them thoroughly will remain our priority to ensure we directly and responsibly leverage our resources to benefit our campus, local, and state communities,鈥� he wrote.
