Mailers and online advertisements promoting a big data center project in southern New Mexico have raised concerns about transparency, as the group behind the campaign failed to disclose funding and environmental impact.
Purple and yellow mailers began arriving in mailboxes across the state in January, touting what they called “a new day for New Mexico.” The flyers promoted Project Jupiter, a proposed data center backed by tech companies OpenAI and Oracle. It came with a promise of $360 million in community investments, $50 million for local water system upgrades, and “thousands of high-paying careers” prioritizing residents of Doña Ana County.
Each mailer has a QR code encouraging recipients to “Voice Your Support.” The link directed users to a website urging them to submit their names and addresses to ask the New Mexico Environment Department to approve the air quality permits the project needs.
Natural gas to power data center complex
The permits would allow developers to construct an on-site natural-gas power plant to energize the data center complex. Early applications for the project sought permission to emit greenhouse gases on par with the total emissions of the state’s two largest cities.
A group called Elevate New Mexico runs the campaign, which also placed digital ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, and on local news websites. The group’s website asked residents to submit comments to the state environment department before the end of the public consultation on Monday. It is not yet clear whether the Elevate New Mexico campaign generated the comments.
According to public records, Elevate New Mexico is not registered with the New Mexico Secretary of State. The campaign materials also do not disclose who backs the campaign.
Elevate New Mexico lists a Virginia building as its headquarters. Individuals working at the address told Source NM they never heard of the group. And the return address on the mailers belongs to a shipping store in Alexandria, Virginia.
Las Cruces resident Neeshia Macanowicz, who received one of the mailers in January, sounded skeptical, saying, “For most people, this is something they get in the mail and throw away.” She noted noted the absence of a “paid for” disclosure commonly found on political campaign materials.
Digital ads
Besides the mailers, the campaign ran digital ads claiming the potential benefits of the project such as electricity supply, water conservation, and the jobs it can generate. LinkedIn’s ad library shows that APCO Worldwide placed some of the ads. APCO is a Washington, D.C.–based public affairs and communications firm.
Maslyn Locke, a senior attorney at the New Mexico Environmental Law Center who represents the litigants against Project Jupiter, said the ads disproportionately feature Hispanic and Latino models, knowing that the companies behind the project are outside the state. “It’s very much a brownwashing campaign,” Locke said. The lawyer accused developers of framing the proposal as a community-driven effort.
State environmental officials said they received about 7,700 comments on the project’s permit applications before the public comment period closed. According to a spokesperson for the environment department, many of the submissions may be duplicates, and officials have not yet determined how many supported or opposed the project.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena, a Democrat from Mesilla, opposes the project. The lawmaker warned about the influence of outside groups trying to shape public opinion. “It’s really problematic when outside, unnamed and unidentified actors are leveraging huge amounts of money,” she said.