Oracle is facing growing skepticism from residents anxious about water, energy consumption, and the footprint of artificial intelligence infrastructure in the Southwest desert. To address this skepticism, the Austin-headquartered tech firm is rolling out an aggressive public relations campaign to defend what could be one of the biggest data center projects in New Mexico history.
The campaign, announced this week, aims to convince New Mexicans that Project Jupiter — Oracle’s planned data center campus in Doña Ana County — will bring economic development without draining local resources. Advertisements in English and Spanish will air on television, radio, digital platforms, and social media over the coming months. It will highlight promises of cleaner energy technology, minimal water use, and hundreds of millions of dollars in local investments.
Project Jupiter will ‘deliver transformational benefits’
The move comes after mounting questions about the project, including issues raised by residents in previous Brant.One report about whether massive AI-driven data centers belong in one of the driest regions of the country.
“This project is expected to deliver transformational benefits to the residents of Doña Ana County, and we want New Mexicans to get the facts about the project directly from us,” said Julia Robin, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s head of infrastructure planning and sourcing.
According to Oracle, Project Jupiter can create more than 4,000 construction jobs and about 1,500 permanent and project-supported jobs after completion. Company estimates showed the project could generate $384 million in annual economic activity during construction and another $113 million annually once operational.
Oracle says it will pour in $50 million to improve local water systems and commit an additional $360 million to schools, infrastructure, and public services across Doña Ana County. The company earmarked another $6.9 million for workforce development, habitat restoration, and community organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces.
Anxiety across New Mexico
But the economic promises are unraveling alongside growing anxiety across New Mexico about the environmental costs the artificial intelligence economy may bring. In previous public meetings and interviews, some residents asked whether Project Jupiter’s assurances about water conservation are trustworthy promises, particularly as prolonged drought and climate pressures continue to burden communities across the Rio Grande Valley. Some have expressed concern about transparency, and taxpayers could eventually shoulder hidden infrastructure costs linked to the project.
Oracle’s new ad campaign will aim directly at those fears. The company says the project’s revised energy plan will rely on Bloom Energy fuel cells rather than conventional power generation, a move Oracle claims will lessen strain on the electrical grid while preventing an increase in household power costs.
The company insists the campus and its fuel-cell cooling systems will not rely on the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority’s drinking water supply. Instead, Oracle claims its systems will require only a one-time fill using non-potable water from a holder of water usage rights, with a yearly average equivalent to the current water consumption of two American households.
The debate in Doña Ana County represents a broader tension unraveling across the American West. Residents want answers to whether communities desperate for economic growth should embrace the rapidly growing AI infrastructure boom amid pressure on already fragile resources due to climate change.
Oracle, however, is betting that a multimillion-dollar information campaign can help shift public opinion about the project. Residents seeking more information are being directed to Oracle’s campaign website, Project Jupiter Together.