SANTA TERESA, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — New Mexico has launched an investigation into online public comments submitted under the names of public officials and residents in support of a local data center.
The state Department of Justice said it has received multiple complaints from different New Mexico officials who reported that their names and emails were used to make online public comments supporting a pending air quality permit for Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa.
Investigators are requesting cooperation from the New Mexico Environment Department, which receives the comments, to carefully review submissions made on a public website that was soliciting public input.
Oracle said it welcomes the investigation. Speaking to KFOX14/CBS4 on Thursday, Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, said, “Oracle’s commitment is complete transparency with everything that we’re doing with Project Jupiter.”
He added, “Second, especially when it comes to this particular investigation, I’m actually excited and very supportive of the DOJ actually investigating this.”
Thiagarajan said Oracle “follows due course process, follows public common period process, follows the compliance processes at every step of the way.”
Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa is on track to be one of the largest data center campuses in the country, with a projected cost of $165 billion over its 30-year master plan.
Critics of the project say the public does not want it and point to concerns over the environment and water usage.
RECOMMENDED: Lawmakers to hear Las Cruces concerns on Project Jupiter data centers
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.