NM Project Jupiter data center developers announce new plans for generating power - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
The developers behind Project Jupiter, the massive OpenAI and Oracle data center campus under construction in Southern New Mexico, on Monday announced they would replace their plans to build gas turbines and diesel generators with a power source that would “dramatically reduce water use and protect local air quality.”
In a joint announcement, Oracle and Project Jupiter developer BorderPlex Digital Assets announced plans to build a single microgrid — an independent energy source that doesn’t tie into an existing grid — that will draw power from fuel cells as opposed to combustion.
The announcement said Bloom Energy, a company that manufactures solid oxide fuel cells, will “fully power” the microgrid. Bloom provides onsite electricity for data centers, semiconductor manufacturing and large utilities, according to the company.
“Project Jupiter started with a belief that Doña Ana County could become a Tier 1 industrial engine for New Mexico,” BorderPlex Digital Assets Chair Lanham Napier said in a statement. “We said we could help bring cleaner energy, stronger infrastructure, more jobs and new investment to southern New Mexico, and that vision is becoming reality. With this announcement, Project Jupiter is becoming a platform for better jobs, stronger infrastructure, and generational opportunity in a region with the talent, work ethic, and ambition to help lead New Mexico’s next chapter of growth.”
A notice of air quality permit application filed in the Las Cruces Sun News shows that the new microgrid proposal would emit fewer greenhouse gases than the prior plans — but critics say the figures are still exceedingly high.
Source NM previously reported that plans for Project Jupiter’s on-site gas plants would emit more greenhouse gases than Albuquerque and Las Cruces combined, at more than 14 million tons per year. The figures were so high that climate advocates assumed they were typos. The new notice puts that figure at 10 million tons per year — a nearly 30% reduction.
“I don’t know that this is the clean energy solution that they’re saying it’s going to be,” New Mexico Environmental Law Center staff attorney Kacey Hovden, who’s involved in active litigation against Doña Ana County officials regarding Project Jupiter, told Source NM.
While state environmental officials weighed the developer’s previous applications for air quality permits, an anonymous, out-of-state group undertook a massive advertising campaign that asked New Mexicans to support building a gas plant to power Project Jupiter. The New Mexico State Ethics Commission last week announced that it’s suingthe group for allegedly violating the state Lobbyist Regulation Act.
New Mexico Environment Department officials previously pushed back their deadline to July to make a decision on whether to issue air quality permits for the proposed gas plants.
The New Mexico Environment Department did not respond to requests for comment on whether the previous deliberations over Project Jupiter’s proposed gas plants are now irrelevant. The notice filed in the Las Cruces Sun News said developers anticipated filing a new application Monday with NMED’s Air Quality Bureau.
Latino leaders surge into local office as Trump-era attacks fuel new urgency - By Fernanda Figueroa, Associated Press
Rhetoric dehumanizing immigrant and Latino communities may appear more open and in-your-face in the current political climate. But that has not been a barrier for Latinos seeking elective office or high-level roles in government.
Voters are choosing an increasing number of nonwhite Hispanic leaders to local elective office — and many of the leaders are the first Latinos to hold their seats. Some political science experts attribute the rise of Latino leadership to years of grassroots organizing, coupled with ongoing demonization of their communities by Trump administration officials and conservative activists.
"That's the difference now, is that there's this extra incentive of an unrelenting attack on Latinos across the country," said Anna Sampaio, an ethnic studies professor at Santa Clara University who specializes in race and gender politics.
There are currently an estimated 7,700 Latino elected officials nationwide, according to data from the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. That's up from 6,883 officials in 2020.
Estimated to number as many as 55 million people — 16% of the U.S. population — Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the country, with politics, interests and priorities as diverse as the national origins represented within their population. But Latinos also are underrepresented as a demographic across elective offices.
Since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term, Latino communities have been a target of his hard-line immigration tactics. The feeling of attack doesn't stop there. From memes shared from the official White House page perpetuating Hispanic stereotypes, a federally led English-only initiative and an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion push have painted a target on Latinos across the country.
It's all led to more Latinos seeking office to defend their communities and give voice to those who may be afraid to speak out in the current political climate. As a result, legislators have proposed measures that include providing community members with protections against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, halting the approval of ICE detention centers in their cities, and calling for a stop to ICE funding, among other actions.
Pennsylvania Latino mayor makes history
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a roughly 40% Hispanic population, recently elected Jaime Arroyo their first Latino mayor. Arroyo took office in January, after being elected with 85% of the vote.
"I think being the first Latino to be in this role and the first person of color to be mayor of Lancaster City has been exciting," Arroyo told The Associated Press, adding that he finds it "extremely exciting to lead and represent our community in this role."
With rhetoric and national policies — such as heightened immigration enforcement — hurting the Latino communities, Arroyo said, diverse representation in government is more important than ever. He also believes that the rise of elected Latino officials over the last couple of years is the result of generations of Latinos being politically active fighting for civil rights.
"We're starting to see a lot of the fruits of that labor come to fruition," Arroyo said. "There's never a perfect time to serve your community, there's the right time. And I think right now is the right time for a lot of Latinos to step up into these roles, especially with everything that is going on."
Latino representation expanding in city councils
Many more Latinos made history when they took office in earlier this year.
In Iowa, Rob Barron was sworn in Jan. 12 as the first Latino representative on the Des Moines City Council. Antonio Pacheco was sworn on Jan. 7 to be the first Latino member of the city council in Conyers, Georgia. In Ohio, Eileen Torres became the first Mexican American women to win a city council seat in Lorain. Sabrina Gonzalez also took office there as the first Puerto Rican women to serve.
And in Michigan, Clara Martinez and Deyanira Nevarez Martinez were sworn in Jan. 1 to the Lansing City Council, making the city the first in the U.S. to have a council with majority Latino representation.
Martinez said her election, and that of Nevarez Martinez, makes a bit statement about "what people are truly open to despite the national rhetoric."
"I think because of the rhetoric that we are having to face and some of the backlash on the national stage, I think that's just fueled the fire for so many people," she said.
The Salt Lake City Council also has a Latino majority, with four of seven seats, after Erika Carlsen, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, was sworn in on Jan. 5. Carlsen said her success is possible because of current and previous generations that put in the work to create spaces where Latinas were encouraged to take leadership positions.
"I feel like I'm building on early generations of leadership," Carlsen said. "That's both an honor and responsibility to improve Salt Lake City for the people who live here."
Carlsen said even if representation at the federal level is not high or visible she said having representation at the local level can have a huge impact.
"I think that it's critically important that we continue to build on this momentum," Carlsen said. "The majority of change that can happen starts locally, it doesn't start in Washington but in City Hall, school boards and neighborhoods conversations. That's the kind of momentum I'd love to see all across the United States."
Carolina Welles, executive director of The First Ask, an organization that supports first-time female candidates at the state level, said the reason why Latino representation is more visible at the local level is because those leaders are able to built trust with their community much easier given their proximity.
"They actually know what people care about," Welles said. "They have a stake because they are facing similar things."
Local level Latino leadership builds on state and federal representation
It's not just at the local level. Latinos are making inroads at the federal level too.
The 119th Congress has 56 Hispanic or Latino members. That shakes out to 10.35% of total membership, according to the Congressional Research Service.
For comparison, there were only 14 Hispanic or Latino members and all were male in the 99th Congress, 40 years ago.
At the start of 2025, there were seven Hispanic U.S. senators. That number decreased to six when then Sen. Marco Rubio resigned to become the Secretary of State, the first Latino to hold the position.
Last year also marked a record for Latinas at the state level. Latinas held 214, or 2.9%, of seats in state legislatures, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. That was up from 192 seats in 2024.
Currently, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is the only active Latina governor in the U.S. Only two Latinas have been elected governor in U.S. history, and both were in New Mexico.
In March, Gina Hinojosa won the Democratic nomination for governor, making her the second Latina to win a major party gubernatorial nomination in Texas.
Latinos saw the biggest rise in elected officials during the Trump administration in response to attacks on their fundamental rights, said Sampaio, the Santa Clara University professor. She said that trend is likely to continue as the administration continues its attacks on immigrant communities.
"We're likely to see more Latinos run for office at the local level, at the state level and even at the national level in response to the attack on simply their existence," Sampaio said. "It is unwittingly both terrorizing the Latino community as well as mobilizing communities."
Lindy’s Diner wall collapses days after city shut business down due to safety concerns - Albuquerque Journal staff
A wall that city officials warned was in danger of collapsing fell Monday at Lindy’s Diner, sending part of the building onto a Downtown Albuquerque sidewalk and narrowly missing a passing vehicle.
The incident happened days after the restaurant was ordered closed.
The wall of the Bliss Building, at 500 Central SW, collapsed around noon, Albuquerque Fire Rescue Lt. Jason Fejer said, forcing occupants in connected buildings to evacuate.
No injuries were reported.
“The whole second story was vacant, and it was just the first floor that was occupied,” Fejer said.
A structural engineer will evaluate whether the building can be rebuilt or if it needs to come down entirely, Fejer added.
Diner and building owner Steve Vatoseow said it was heartbreaking to see the building where he grew his business and family in shambles.
“I knew the building had issues, but in no way did I expect this,” Vatoseow said. “But as heartbreaking and gut-wrenching as this is, I thank God nobody was hurt.”
The incident comes just days after the city of Albuquerque’s Planning Department shut the diner down after inspections found that the two-story building’s northeast exterior wall was leaning and in danger of falling onto the public sidewalk or street.
First responders, including the Albuquerque Police Department and AFR, were on the scene shortly after the building’s wall fell, which had closed surrounding streets. A video shared by APD showed the moment when the wall gave way, narrowly missing a truck driving southbound on Fifth Street.
Fencing the city put up caught most of the debris.
“We investigate these matters very carefully and that is why we ordered the closure and installed the safety fencing,” said Alan Varela, the city’s Planning Department director. He said the city is hopeful the structure “can be safely restored.”
Last week, Vatoseow said he had been trying to address the building problems for years but was unable to afford the fixes. The city gave the owners a deadline of May 4 to submit a structural engineer’s report, acquire a building permit and take corrective action.
Vatoseow said he planned to take action, but that it would be a while due to financial challenges. The building’s closing last week also coincided with a personal circumstance that Vatoseow said was limiting his ability to address the situation.
Locals launched a GoFundMe to save the building and Lindy’s last week. The fundraiser set a goal of $100,000 — the minimum amount Vatoseow said is needed to address the building’s immediate issues. The fundraiser had received 58 donations, totaling more than $7,400, late Monday.
The collapse and diner closure also comes as Vatoseow was seeking to sell the building for $1.3 million. He hoped to attract an owner capable of rehabbing the building.
Longtime Lindy’s customer Johnny Jenkins took photos of the restaurant on his phone as he observed the collapsed structure alongside other Downtown strollers on Monday.
“They rode it out as long as they could,” he said.
City Councilor Joaquín Baca, whose district encompasses the Downtown area, called the incident a “tragedy.” He added that situations like this are what spurred him to champion a vacancy bill — passed last year — that ensures unoccupied buildings are evaluated for structural integrity.
“There’s a lot of concern about that, and so that bill will specifically address these exact conditions,” he said. “It breaks my heart. It’s terrible to lose an iconic building, especially on the 100th anniversary celebration of Route 66.”
16 NM lawmakers sign letter opposing proposed private equity acquisition of PNM - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
A group of 16 New Mexico lawmakers on Friday co-signed a letter to the Public Regulation Commission to oppose a private equity firm’s bid to acquire the state’s largest electric company.
Private equity firm Blackstone Infrastructure and PNM’s parent company, TXNM Energy Inc., first announced plans for the $11.5 billion acquisition in 2025, setting in motion regulatory hearings by the state Public Regulation Commission. While critics and public officials including the New Mexico attorney general have scrutinized the deal, supporters have long said private equity will be able to provide the cash infusion PNM needs to keep up in an ever-changing energy industry.
The lawmakers who signed onto Friday’s letter, though, aren’t convinced.
“We have seen no evidence that PNM cannot obtain necessary access to capital from other, less risky, sources,” they wrote. “We are concerned that PNM customers will be the next victims in Blackstone’s pursuit of shareholder profit.”
The letter cites a report from the New Mexico Foundation for Civic Excellence titled “Blackstone’s PNM Power Grab,” which alleged that Blackstone affiliates in other states have previously violated child labor laws.
The report credits a company named Ethos Research “for providing research and writing expertise for this report,” but does not list an author. Similarly, the New Mexico Foundation for Civic Excellence’s website does not identify the foundation’s board members or directors. It describes the organization as a nonprofit that “promotes civic action and advocacy” on environmental, economic and health-related matters.
In December, the progressive advocacy group Indivisible Albuquerque announced that it formed the Foundation for Civic Excellence as a sister organization to combat potential PNM acquisitions.
Blackstone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
State regulatory staffers recently opened an investigation into whether a $400 million stock sale between TXNM and a Blackstone affiliate without prior PRC approval violated state law. The investigation followed the Albuquerque anti-poverty nonprofit Prosperity Works and New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez raising concerns over the transaction.
Officials from PNM and Blackstone have denied any wrongdoing and previously told Source NM that the sale “did not benefit or support” the proposed acquisition.
In Friday’s letter, New Mexico lawmakers said they feared the potential violation was indicative of a rushed process.
“It is our opinion that this violation is indicative of the most significant risk that the proposed acquisition poses — a takeover of one of the most vital parts of our public infrastructure by a private equity corporation that believes it can operate outside the bounds of regulatory oversight, and has the resources to do so,” they wrote, adding that they’re concerned the electricity will increasingly go toward energy-intensive developments such as data centers, rather than New Mexicans.
The letter was signed by state Reps. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), Eleanor Chávez (D-Albuquerque), Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces), Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces), Janelle Anyanonu (D-Albuquerque), Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Albuquerque), Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson (D-Albuquerque), Kathleen Cates (D-Rio Rancho) and Sens. Liz Stefanics (D-Cerillos), Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque), Linda López (D-Albuquerque), Carrie Hamblen (D-Las Cruces), Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque), Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D-Albuquerque) and Angel Charley (D-Acoma).
Firefighters rescue goats, dogs during Tusas Fire - KUNM News
Last week’s wildfire in Northeastern San Miguel county burned more than 200 acres before it was contained by firefighters over the weekend.
The blaze, called the Tusas Fire, occurred west of Sapello, about halfway between Sapello and San Ignacio.
The New Mexico Forestry Division reports that firefighters were presented with a challenge when it was discovered that a local resident’s goats had escaped and were lost somewhere within the fire perimeter.
Good news for the goats – firefighters found them and brought them home. They were also able to return some dogs belonging to the owner.
In a Monday news release, members of Northern New Mexico Type 3 Team thanked the surrounding communities for their support during their efforts to extinguish the blaze.
KUNM is not aware of any public statements from the goats and dogs, however, it’s safe to presume that they were quite grateful to be safe, and back at home.
City of Roswell sued for requiring anti-war group to get permit, insurance to distribute free food - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
The City of Roswell is facing a free speech lawsuit over its alleged handling of bi-weekly food distributions at a public plaza in the center of the city, according to an announcement Monday from the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.
The center, which filed the lawsuit Monday, said that Roswell officials illegally prohibited Food Not Bombs, which advocates for an end to hunger through military divestment, from distributing free food at Pioneer Plaza, which sits in front of government buildings on North Main Street in Roswell.
According to the lawsuit, Roswell officials in late 2025 informed Food Not Bombs that the group would need to get a permit and insurance to continue distributing food at the plaza.
As a result, the group has not distributed food in the plaza since November of last year. Instead, the group has held its bi-weekly giveaways at a church that is far from public transportation and the city center, said Jocelyn Smith, a founding member of Food Not Bombs Roswell, in an interview Monday with Source NM.
The group provided food to as many as 150 people, many of them unhoused, at least twice a week, Smith said. At its current location, the group feeds roughly 30 people, she said, and the group has had to turn down food donations as a result.
“It’s been super huge,” Smith said of the impact of relocating. “Us not being there is hindering us from being able to serve food out when we need to.”
The lawsuit alleges that a Roswell ordinance that governs the permitting process for vendors and events is unconstitutional and overly broad. It further alleges that the city unfairly restricted Food Not Bombs while allowing other groups to distribute free food without a permit.
City of Roswell spokesperson Todd Wildermuth declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
The lawsuit says the group’s distributions amount to “expressive food sharing” protected by the state Constitution. Because the group has an explicit anti-war political message, distributing food is protected speech, said Marco Alarid White, a lawyer for the center.
“It’s a mutual aid, collective approach, with that kind of message baked in about food being a human right and wanting to get away from a society that promotes militarism,” Alarid White told Source NM on Monday. “Our state Constitution protects the kind of food sharing being done by Food Not Bombs Roswell, which is expressive conduct.”
Alarid White said the center’s lawsuit is likely the first free speech lawsuit in New Mexico centered around free food distributions.
The lawsuit asks a judge to declare the city’s permitting ordinance as unconstitutional and prohibit the city from enforcing it. It also seeks damages for Food Not Bombs for “loss of rights” the group experienced under the state Constitution.
State ends routine food inspections due to funding – Santa Fe New Mexican
Routine inspections of food facilities and other venues across the state have been suspended because the state agency overseeing them has run out of money.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports this impacts food facilities and manufacturers, public pools and septic systems, and on-site wastewater systems.
The New Mexico Environment Department’s Health Bureau conducts routine, in-person inspections. But an email sent to staff noted those have stopped until further notice. However, inspections will still be performed if there is a public health emergency.
The department had requested just over $1 million during the regular legislative session to fund bureau staff salaries and the inspection program, but lawmakers did not allocate that money.
The head of the Health Division told the New Mexican the inspection program ideally needs about $13 million.
A spokesperson for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the office is working on a short-term solution. Bernalillo County and the city of Albuquerque have their own food safety inspection programs, but the state Environment Department also inspects public facilities.