State Supreme Court Orders State Engineer to Halt Authorization of Project Jupiter Water Use Until Further Review
BREAKING NEWS
Sunday Night, the Center for Biological Diversity was Granted a Stay it Sought for Suspension of the State Engineer’s Water Well Authorization for Project Jupiter.
On Sunday evening, Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously ordered the suspension of the State Engineer’s water well authorization for Project Jupiter, “… effectively turning off the water supply to the massive data center project proposed by Oracle and OpenAI in Doña Ana County,” according to a statement from the Center for Biological Diversity.
“We’re thrilled this stay from the New Mexico Supreme Court blocks Project Jupiter’s unlawful water permit for now. Our precious freshwater is safe from this wildly unpopular mega data center,” said Colin Cox, a New Mexico-based senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “New Mexico has strict laws to protect our water that must be enforced. No company is above the law.”
The Order stays the emergency drilling authorization permitting the use of water from a new well for the construction of Project Jupiter until further order of the Court.
As stated last Thursday in a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity, the environmental advocacy group “filed an emergency petition with the New Mexico Supreme Court challenging the state’s approval of well drilling that has supplied millions of gallons of freshwater for Project Jupiter, the $165 billion data center campus proposed by Oracle and Open AI in Doña Ana County.”
The Supreme Court further ordered that a response shall be filed on or before September 2, 2026.
A copy of the Supreme Courts Order can be found below as well as the Center for Biological Diversity’s original emergency petition.
(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 the State Engineer’s Water Well Authorization for Project Jupiter Until Further Order From the Court.
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Center for Biological Diversity’s Original Writ of Mandamus and Stay Request.
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