Students protests Project Jupiter as air quality permit moves forward
Hundreds around the state rallied against the massive Project Jupiter data center on Tuesday. In Santa Fe, students from New Mexico School for the Arts walked out of classes and marched to the Roundhouse.
Chants of "stop Project Jupiter!" were heard outside the capitol and echoing throughout the cacophonous rotunda.
Some lawmakers who were attending an interim committee meeting came downstairs to watch the protest. State Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena told Source NM she was thrilled to see the protest. Cadena plans to introduce legislation that would require a one year moratorium on new data center projects.
In Albuquerque protesters gathered outside U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's office to protest new legislation he introduced that would speed up permitting for energy projects. Heinrich's press team said in a statement that the bill holds data centers accountable.
The protests followed news on Monday that The New Mexico Environment Department decided not to dismiss Project Jupiter's air quality permit application. Advocacy group New Energy Economy filed a legal request to dismiss the massive data center's application saying that it was administratively incomplete.
This development does not mean the air quality request has the green light- it just means that the Environment Department will make a decision on the application. The deadline for that decision is set for November 23 but it may get pushed following legal delays. A public hearing which was originally scheduled for September is now set for December 7.
Developers made changes to microgrid plans which they say will cut Project Jupiter's emissions by about 35 percent.
Disaster declarations send state and federal dollars to flood stricken areas
Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia declared a natural disaster emergency after a rare tornado damaged 10 homes in Santa Fe on Saturday. He's also asked Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to declare a state of emergency in Santa Fe. That would make more state resources available for response and recovery.
In a disaster declaration Monday, Lujan Grisham approved over $8 million for flood relief in Northern New Mexico. A separate federal declaration will send federal assistance to San Juan, Rio Arriba, Cibola and Sandoval counties, as well as several Pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Lujan Grisham said flood damage in the state could already top $300 million. More rain is forecasted for the Four Corners region this weekend.
New Mexico voters to decide if lawmakers deserve a paycheck
New Mexico is the only state that doesn’t pay its lawmakers for their legislative work. But that could change if voters approve Constitutional Amendment 4 on the November 3 ballot. Advocates believe many qualified people in New Mexico are prohibited from running for office because of financial constraints. Public News Service’s Roz Brown has more.
