{"id":81310,"date":"2026-06-14T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/new-mexico-county-has-second-thoughts-after-approving-massive-data-center-in-the-desert\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T09:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:00:44","slug":"new-mexico-county-has-second-thoughts-after-approving-massive-data-center-in-the-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/new-mexico-county-has-second-thoughts-after-approving-massive-data-center-in-the-desert\/","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico County Has Second Thoughts After Approving Massive Data Center in the Desert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781442043862.png?resize=1%2C1&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-81309\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>A New Mexico border county that has long been searching for ways to boost its economy has approved the construction of one of the largest data centers in the entire country \u2014 and the project comes with its own gas-powered electricity plant attached.<\/p><p>But what seemed like a promising economic win is now generating serious concern. Local residents and officials are experiencing what many are calling buyer&#8217;s remorse over the massive development.<\/p><p>Water availability is emerging as the central issue driving the backlash. In an already dry desert region, the prospect of a large-scale data center \u2014 which typically requires enormous amounts of water for cooling systems \u2014 has raised alarm bells about the long-term impact on the area&#8217;s limited water supply.<\/p><p>The approval came from a county eager to attract jobs and investment to a region that has struggled economically. However, as details of the project have come into clearer focus, some who initially supported the deal are now questioning whether the tradeoffs are worth it.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A rural New Mexico county along the border, eager for economic growth, gave the green light to one of the nation&#8217;s largest data centers \u2014 complete with its own natural gas power plant. Now, residents and officials are having second thoughts about the decision. Water concerns are at the heart of the growing unease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":81309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[838],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781442043862.png?fit=1%2C1&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-l9s","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":81308,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/new-mexico-county-approves-massive-data-center-then-has-second-thoughts\/","url_meta":{"origin":81310,"position":0},"title":"New Mexico County Approves Massive Data Center, Then Has Second Thoughts","author":"Admin","date":"June 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A rural New Mexico county along the border, hungry for economic growth, gave the green light to one of the largest data centers in the United States. The facility would come with its own natural gas power plant. Now, some in the community are having regrets about the decision.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Business&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Business","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/business\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781441141804.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23379,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/scientists-make-massive-dinosaur-discovery-after-epic-sahara-desert-journey\/","url_meta":{"origin":81310,"position":1},"title":"Scientists Make Massive Dinosaur Discovery After Epic Sahara Desert Journey","author":"Admin","date":"February 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Researchers endured a grueling three-day trek through the remote Sahara Desert to reach an isolated site in northern Niger. Their expedition paid off with the discovery of fossils from Spinosaurus mirabilis, one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs ever found.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771530343028.jpg?fit=450%2C318&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":63768,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/chilean-residents-fail-to-stop-amazon-data-center-after-environmental-fight\/","url_meta":{"origin":81310,"position":2},"title":"Chilean Residents Fail to Stop Amazon Data Center After Environmental Fight","author":"Admin","date":"May 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Local residents in Santiago, Chile lost their legal battle to prevent Amazon from building a massive data center complex in their community. Environmental officials approved the project in April despite concerns about power infrastructure and community impact.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Business&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Business","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/business\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778249319859.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778249319859.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778249319859.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778249319859.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778249319859.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54760,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/data-center-battles-move-from-local-politics-to-national-midterm-elections\/","url_meta":{"origin":81310,"position":3},"title":"Data Center Battles Move From Local Politics to National Midterm Elections","author":"Admin","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Community frustration over data center expansion has led voters to remove pro-development local officials from office. The growing opposition to these facilities is now becoming a significant factor in upcoming midterm elections.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40229,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-officials-unveil-massive-ai-data-center-at-former-ohio-nuclear-site\/","url_meta":{"origin":81310,"position":4},"title":"Federal Officials Unveil Massive AI Data Center at Former Ohio Nuclear Site","author":"Admin","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Trump administration announced plans for a massive artificial intelligence data center at a former uranium enrichment facility in southern Ohio. The project will include 10 gigawatts of data processing capacity and new natural gas power plants, backed by $33.3 billion in Japanese investment.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Science&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Science","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/science\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774039133208.jpg?fit=1000%2C616&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774039133208.jpg?fit=1000%2C616&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774039133208.jpg?fit=1000%2C616&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774039133208.jpg?fit=1000%2C616&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80397,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/chinese-officials-issue-extreme-flood-warning-for-desert-areas\/","url_meta":{"origin":81310,"position":5},"title":"Chinese Officials Issue Extreme Flood Warning for Desert Areas","author":"Admin","date":"June 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Chinese authorities are alerting communities in northwestern regions to brace for severe flooding this summer due to record temperatures and accelerated glacier melting. The country's largest desert has already experienced its earliest flood on record, occurring months ahead of the typical seasonal timeline.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;World News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1781238181533.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}