Haaland and Hull weigh in on data centers
AI data centers have dominated headlines in recent months and Southern New Mexico is home to the nation’s most expensive data center project to date—Project Jupiter. The project has spurred protests and numerous controversies around the state. Several counties and cities have enacted moratoriums on data center developments until regulations can catch up with the quickly developing industry. State legislators plan to introduce a statewide moratorium. But the outcome of the race for governor will dictate the future of that plan.
"Yes, a moratorium on day one until we can get accountability measures in place," Democratic candidate Deb Haaland said in an interview with News Nation in September. "That would be the job of the legislature.”
Haaland said she would mandate the statewide moratorium with an executive order. Haaland first announced the plan just two days after The Santa Fe New Mexican broke news of data center developers donating a total of over $87,000 to her campaign.
Haaland said statewide regulations are appropriate because of the state’s environmental concerns.
"Make sure that these centers move forward with clean energy because we have clean energy goals here in New Mexico—net zero emissions by 2050," she said.
But Republican Greg Hull see things quit differently.
"‘Data center moratoriums’ is nothing more than a soundbite in a political race, and unfortunately, it sends the message out of our state that we're not open for business," Hull told KSFR.
Hull said individual data center projects should be approved or rejected by local communities.
"I oppose a statewide moratorium being legislated from Santa Fe, because that's Santa Fe telling every county and every city what they have to do," he said. "I want each county and each city to have the autonomy to make those decisions on their own."
But one of the legislators crafting a statewide moratorium bill told KSFR in July that at least one county has not been transparent with voters about data center deals. State Representative Michaela Lara Cadena represents Doña Ana County, where Project Jupiter is currently under construction.
"That project came to be after lots of deals and deception and dishonesty," she said. "When myself and our public heard about this project, our county was getting ready to vote on the biggest IRB ever considered in the entire US. The IRB they approved is worth $165 billion and they took that vote with less than 30 days public notice."
Early voting for the governor race and several other statewide and local seats is currently underway at county clerks’ offices. Additional early voting locations open on October 17 and Election Day is November 3.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is leading a coalition of 25 states pushing back against potential changes to the Head Start program. The Trump administration has proposed changes to performance standards and administrative costs, and wants to impose English-only instruction.
The language requirement would be directly at odds with another New Mexico Democrat's hopes for Head Start. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich introduced legislation earlier this year that would bring more Native language speakers and educators into Tribal Head Start classrooms.
The Trump administration said the proposed changes would increase flexibility and reduce burdens. But Torrez said in a statement that the changes would increase administrative burdens while lowering the quantity and quality of services.
