New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard Denies Request to Build Natural Gas Pipeline for Project Jupiter Data Center

New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard has officially denied a request from Energy Transfer to build a portion of a natural gas pipeline on state land. The proposed "Green Chile Project" was intended to power the Project Jupiter data center, which will house facilities for OpenAI and Oracle. Garcia Richard stated that while the pipeline would benefit investors and developers, it offers few significant advantages for state lands. She argued that the project imposes an extreme burden on local water and natural resources while producing high levels of air pollution. This decision marks a second rejection of the proposal, as the commissioner seeks to balance economic growth with the need to slow the acceleration of climate change. Energy Transfer has 30 days to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, Oracle officials maintain that the project remains on schedule and will create 4,000 construction jobs, aiming for 100% carbon-free energy by 2035.

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