State Supreme Court Issues Stay in Air Quality Permit Process for Project Jupiter
BREAKING NEWS
Consumer and Environmental Advocacy Organization, New Energy Economy, was Granted a Stay it Sought to Argue for a More Inclusive and Open Permitting Process
On Sunday evening, Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court issued a unanimous Order suspending any further action on proceedings related to the air quality permit needed for the immense data center development known as Project Jupiter, located in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Chief Justice Julie Vargas, on behalf of the entire Court, ordered the New Mexico Environment Department’s air quality permit application “STAYED until further order of this Court.”
New Energy Economy and other environmental advocacy organizations and members of the general public, have been critical of the NMED and the appointed hearing officer in their handling of the air quality permit process, which they argue has been shortened at the expense of meaningful intervention of parties concerned about huge increases in greenhouse gas and the need to assess more openly other air contaminants that would be generated by Project Jupiter.
The Court gave the NMED and Project Jupiter lawyers until Wednesday, September 2, 2026, to file responses to the Writ of Mandamus filed by New Energy Economy.
A copy of both the Court’s Order to Stay permit proceedings and the original filing of New Energy Economy can be found below.
More reporting on this developing story.
(NOTE: The Candle’s editor, Bruce Wetherbee, filed an entrance of appearance for the permitting hearing process for the above referenced Air Quality Permit before the New Mexico Environment Department Secretary on July 7, 2026. Any interested person is entitled to file an entry of appearance, which affords the individual service of all actions – motions, proposed orders, attendance in preliminary conference hearings, etc., – as well as an opportunity to submit data, views, arguments, and cross examine technical witnesses at the hearing if they so desire on matters germane to the permit application.)
New Mexico Supreme Court Order Staying Action on Project Jupiter Air Quality Permit Until Further Order of the Court.
(Note: If the document below appears visually in a landscape (horizontal) position, click the “>>” button to the far right to engage a page orientation “rotate” tool to reposition vertically.)
New Energy Economy’s Original Writ of Mandamus and Stay Request
(Note: If the document below appears visually in a landscape (horizontal) position, click the “>>” button to the far right to engage a page orientation “rotate” tool to reposition vertically.)