NMED Schedules Public Hearing on Project Jupiter Air Permits, Delays Decision to July 2026

New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney approved a formal public hearing on air quality permit applications for Project Jupiter after the agency received more than 7,000 public comments and faced direct pressure from state lawmakers demanding greater community involvement in the review.

The volume of public response, generated during the comment period for permit applications tied to twin gas-fired power plants proposed as part of a large data center campus, led NMED officials to conclude the project warranted a formal administrative hearing. The agency pushed its original permit decision deadline from April 22 back to July 21, 2026, to allow the hearing process to run its course and give regulators additional time to evaluate potential emissions and community impacts.

NMED staff also requested supplemental information from Acoma LLC, the company named in the permit filings as the project's developer. A hearing officer, rather than the agency itself, will set the hearing schedule and location. Officials indicated the hearing will likely be held in Doña Ana County and will include bilingual English and Spanish accessibility measures.

Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces) was among the lawmakers who pressed for expanded public engagement, arguing that impacted residents deserved "a real seat at the table" during the permitting process.

Project Jupiter has drawn scrutiny on multiple fronts. Opponents have raised concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, water demand and regional infrastructure strain. Proponents have countered that the project would generate jobs and investment. The proposal also encompasses pipelines and related infrastructure beyond the power plants, elements that could face separate permitting reviews depending on outcomes at the air permit stage.

The formal hearing will give residents, local officials and advocacy groups the opportunity to submit testimony on the record, creating an administrative forum that NMED must weigh before issuing any final permit decision. It is a meaningful escalation from the written comment period and a direct consequence of the more than 7,000 responses that made ignoring public pressure an untenable option for regulators.