Inside the Revolt Against a Massive ‘Green’ Data Center in Rural New Mexico

Residents of Socorro, a small community in the desert beneath the Magdalena Mountains, are fighting a proposed “green” data center, Source NM reports. The proposal calls for a 10,000-acre AI computing hub powered mainly by solar energy. Proponents say it could bring research opportunities, jobs and investment to the region, but in crowded town halls many residents see a non-transparent, water-hungry industrial project.

The developer is Green Data, a Canadian-linked firm whose chief executive is Jason Bak. Residents say they first learned of the plan in March, when Bak presented it to the local electric cooperative as the largest renewable-led data center in the world. He said the facility would rely on solar energy and atmospheric water generation instead of groundwater, and that the company does not enter a community unless it is wanted. Opposition groups soon organized online, and petitions against the project gathered thousands of signatures.

Skepticism grew over secrecy. Public documents showed Green Data and New Mexico Tech signed a letter of intent months before many residents knew talks were under way. University president Michael Jackson acknowledged signing nondisclosure agreements tied to early discussions but said no final decision had been made and the university is still assessing the project’s impacts. Bak acknowledged he had never personally built a completed data center, though he said other Green Data executives have industry experience.

Opponents say they have yet to see detailed maps, water studies or an independent environmental evaluation. “You cannot replant the desert,” resident Cari Powell said at a town hall, according to Source NM.

Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit Source NM’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.