Records Reveal Early Project Jupiter Planning Included NMED and PRC Leaders

The Candle Received Public Records From an IPRA Request From the Governor’s Office Which Provide Evidence of December 2024 Meeting of BorderPlex Digital Assets, LLC Representatives and Government Officials, Including Agencies With Regulatory Duties

According to records from the Office of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, received via an Inspection of Public Records Act request from the editor of The Candle, Project Jupiter was being planned with high level New Mexico state officials at least as early as December 4, 2024.

In an email, Alicia Keyes, (the Governor’s former Economic Development Secretary and founder and CEO of Apaluma, Inc.) an early facilitator and collaborator with state officials in the development of the state’s approach to rolling out of the huge data center development (currently known as Project Jupiter), wrote of a meeting in early December that appears to be where and when state officials and data center developers detailed initial parameters for what eventually became the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Governor and the Chairman of BorderPlex Digital Assets, LLC.

Interestingly, the Public Regulations Commission was included in the draft MOU as one of the participating state agencies, but not in the version signed by the Governor.

The Candle is reviewing the documents received, as well as the legislation passed a few months later in 2025, that created a loophole for some type of “micro-grids” from PRC regulation which has been argued by opponents of the data center development as being favorable to Project Jupiter.

Keyes’ email seems to indicate that the Secretary of the Environment Department, James Kenney, was also a participant in the early meeting.

Kenney, or his designee, is the state official who is required to decide on the air quality permit that Project Jupiter is currently engaged in seeking approval of and which is before the environment department.

This is a developing story … The Candle will be reporting with further information.

(Note: the air quality permit process has been put on hold by the state’s Supreme Court temporarily while it deliberates motions to provide more transparency and a fair timeline for review of technical evidence in the permit process.)

Copy of email thread received by the editor of The Candle in response to an IPRA request.

Copy of the draft Memorandum of Understanding between BorderPlex Digital Assets, LLC and the State of New Mexico