Heath Haussamen
This is a breaking news article. Check back Tuesday for the audio version.
Project Jupiter’s developers are ditching controversial plans to build two gas-fired power plants and a diesel backup and switching to a less-polluting power source that uses fuel cells.
The result is a 92 percent decrease in nitrogen oxide emissions, Oracle, one of the project’s developers, said in a news release. Nitrogen oxides are toxic pollutants. They produce ozone and contribute to climate change.
The new power design, which uses fuel cells produced by a company called Bloom Energy, will reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions as well.
The developers’ initial air quality permit applications for two power plants (here and here) sought the ability to pump more than 14 million tons of greenhouse gas into the air each year, which is more than twice the amount emitted by the cities of Albuquerque and Las Cruces combined.
Project Jupiter now plans to build one power plant, and the new permit application seeks approval to emit 10.1 million tons per year, according to a legal notice published in the Las Cruces Sun-News. While still massive, that’s almost a 30 percent reduction.
The N.M. Environment Department has not yet released Project Jupiter’s new air quality permit application.
‘A lower environmental footprint’
With communities across the United States revolting against the construction of data centers in their backyards, Oracle and Bloom are betting on fuel cells to reduce emissions — and controversy.
Project Jupiter, the campus of advanced artificial intelligence data centers in Santa Teresa that will power OpenAI’s ChatGPT, will be one of the largest ever built. The developers are promoting its new power source as a model for others.
“Bloom’s fuel cell technology enables us to deliver highly reliable on-site power with a lower environmental footprint, supporting the project’s performance needs while contributing to stronger
environmental outcomes,” Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, said in the news release.
And Bloom’s Chief Commercial Officer, Aman Joshi, said in the release that its fuel cells “dramatically” reduce water use and provide cleaner and quieter energy. Because the power plant isn’t connected to the grid, it also “helps protect electricity rates for local residents,” he said.
“This is a model that can be replicated across America — it is digital power for the digital age,” Joshi said.
Bloom’s fuel cells will provide “up to 2.45 GW” for Project Jupiter, the news release states. That’s roughly comparable to the entire generating capacity of El Paso Electric, which serves 465,000 customers across 10,000 square miles from Hatch, N.M. to Van Horn, Texas.
Previous plans were ‘unacceptable’
Project Jupiter’s announcement comes after months of public criticism of its plans to build gas-fired power plants, and weeks in which the developers acknowledged that they planned to use water in their power generation, which is not what they promised the public or county officials. The latter upset supporters and opponents of Project Jupiter alike.
State Rep. Nathan Small, one of Project Jupiter’s most vocal supporters, praised the developers’ shift. He said the previous plans for power generation and water use were, “frankly, unacceptable.”
“There were very strong commitments that were made as part of this project,” Small said. “It’s important and good to see those commitments again being recognized.”
State Rep. Sarah Silva, another supporter of the project, said Oracle’s announcement is a win for the community.
“The organizing from residents, county commissioners and local journalism changed the outcome,” she said. “Project Jupiter has secured a smarter, cleaner way to operate its data centers because of the community.”
‘Cautious optimism’
Some Doña Ana County commissioners were more measured in their responses.
“There’s cautious optimism,” said Manuel Sanchez, who chairs the county commission and voted in favor of tax incentives for Project Jupiter last year. “There’s a lot of questions that come up.”
Sanchez, an engineer who works in power generation sales for General Electric, said he needs to learn more about how the fuel cells work. And while Oracle’s news release says the water used in power generation will be “negligible,” Sanchez wants to know exactly how much it will use.
Project Jupiter has also stated its intent to build 1 GW of renewable energy generation capacity by 2032. Sanchez wants to know if that’s still in the works.
Commissioner Susana Chaparro, who voted against Project Jupiter’s tax incentives last year, said she wants to see the developers’ new promises in legally binding agreements.
“I appreciate the effort being made by Oracle,” she said. “However, any changes I want in writing and voted on by the entire commission.”
‘Look at what accountability did’
Sanchez and Chaparro said they are meeting with Oracle on Thursday to discuss the situation. Commissioners voted earlier this month to investigate the news reports that the developers planned to use more water than promised. The meeting is part of those efforts.
Commissioners and staff will report what they learned to the public at a future meeting.
Silva said earlier this month she was “shocked” by the revelation that Project Jupiter planned to use more water than previously disclosed. On Monday, she said watchdogging the project remains essential.
“Look at what accountability did in this instance,” Silva said. “I’ll keep working to hold Project Jupiter accountable.”
New plans ‘will have to be verified’
Small said trying to grow our state’s economy in Santa Teresa, which is adjacent to El Paso and Cuidad Juárez — areas with higher populations and more industrialization — creates a challenge in terms of air quality.
That’s why Project Jupiter’s plan to reduce emissions matters. “It can show how New Mexico can lead the way in cleaning up the air in our border region,” Small said. “And frankly, we need the State of Texas and Chihuahua to follow suit.”
He said the developers’ new power plan is “a significant and meaningful step forward” but “one that will have to be verified as we go along.” The chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee said the Legislature has separated NMED’s compliance division from its permit division and increased funding so the agency can address situations like this one.
“We want and rely upon our regulators to be independent, and to have the resources to carry out their jobs,” Small said.
AN ASK: I’ve been watchdogging Project Jupiter since the beginning. I won’t stop. Please, support my efforts by making a donation or signing up to make monthly contributions. Thank you!
DISCLOSURES: State Rep. Sarah Silva, a supporter of Project Jupiter, is my spouse. And state Rep. Nathan Small, another supporter, performed our wedding.
