Doña Ana County, New Mexico, is on the verge of hosting one of the largest infrastructure projects in U.S. history — a $165 billion hyperscale artificial intelligence data center campus known as Project Jupiter. The proposal, spearheaded by BorderPlex Digital Assets, promises to transform Santa Teresa into a global hub for digital infrastructure and rank it as one of the largest data centers in the world.
Economic Impact and Jobs
If approved, the development will create at least 750 full-time jobs and deliver $300 million in payments to the county over a 30-year period. To put the size of this project into perspective, the total proposed investment is larger than the combined property valuation of El Paso County, Texas.
Financing the Project
Doña Ana County commissioners have already voted 4-1 to advance the deal, with a final vote scheduled for September 19. If approved, the county would issue industrial revenue bonds — up to $165 billion — which BorderPlex Digital would repay. To benefit from tax relief, the company would transfer ownership of the land and facilities to the county and then lease them back for 30 years.
“This is not a debt of the county,” explained county bond attorney Chris Muirhead, emphasizing that taxpayers would not be directly liable.
Sustainability Questions
One of the biggest concerns raised has been water and power consumption. While hyperscale data centers typically demand significant resources, BorderPlex claims that Project Jupiter will be different.
Lanham Napier, chairman and co-founder of the company, said the campus will feature:
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A closed-loop water recycling system to minimize water usage.
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On-site power generation, battery storage, and a microgrid to supply its own electricity.
Napier stressed that water usage will be limited to basic employee needs, calling it “domestic-level consumption.”
Community Response
Despite the promises, the project has drawn public protests whic is a common challenge faced by data center developers in the USA. Critics argue that such a massive project requires deeper community engagement and scrutiny of environmental impacts. Commissioner Susanna Chaparro, the lone dissenting vote, urged more transparency, saying:
“This sounds to be a wonderful thing for Doña Ana County, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. We, as a community, need to understand what will be happening in our county.”
Unanswered Questions
Key details are still missing from the proposal, including:
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The exact project site within the county.
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Detailed electricity consumption data.
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Potential impact on local utility rates.
Given its scale, only the world’s largest tech companies — such as Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, Oracle, or OpenAI — would likely have the capacity to occupy and operate within the campus.
Project Jupiter – Factsheet
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Location: Santa Teresa, Doña Ana County, New Mexico (unincorporated area near the U.S.–Mexico border)
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Developer: BorderPlex Digital Assets (Austin-based)
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Investment Value: Up to $165 billion
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Facilities:
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Four hyperscale data centers
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Microgrid and on-site power generation
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Battery storage
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Jobs Created: At least 750 permanent full-time positions
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County Deal:
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Issuance of industrial revenue bonds
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30-year leaseback agreement
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$300 million in payments to the county in lieu of taxes
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Commission Vote: Advanced by 4-1, final decision on Sept. 19
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Environmental Claims: Closed-loop water recycling system, minimal water usage, self-sustained power supply
