A Texas energy company has applied to build a 17-mile pipeline in Doña Ana County in order to help power a controversial data center in Southern New Mexico.
Several southern New Mexico Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups plan to lodge objections to Houston-headquartered Energy Transfer’s proposal for the $60 million pipeline, which it filed in February with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The project would pipe 400,000 dekatherms of gas daily to power plants for Project Jupiter, according to the nearly 900-page application for the $60 million pipeline, dubbed the “Green Chile Project.” As a point of comparison, that amount of gas used daily would power Española for one year, according to Lu Liu, an assistant civil engineering professor at Iowa State University.
Energy Transfer requested FERC allow the construction to start on April 15, just days after the public comment period closes on April 13, in order for the pipeline to be operational by Aug.15. However, the application notes that the project would require additional state and federal permits to move forward. Energy Transfer did not respond to phone and emailed requests for comment.
The construction would mostly take place on federal Bureau of Land Management and private lands, but would require approval from the New Mexico State Land Office for a small portion of just over half a mile.
Joey Keefe, assistant commissioner of communications for the state land office said his agency is still reviewing the application and that the portion on state land can’t be built without that approval.
Energy Transfer’s application also notes that the pipeline depends on the state environment department approving Project Jupiter’s air permit applications for twin natural gas generating stations. Public comment for those applications ended on March 2.
The state has until April 22 to make a decision, the agency’s Communications Director Drew Goretzka told Source NM, he said otherwise the state had no authority on the pipeline.
Several state officials and advocates said they were unaware of the proposed pipeline until contacted by Source NM.
“We continue to learn things daily about the scale, the breadth, and in this case, the speed of which they’re just dead set on moving their plan forward in a way that puts at risk the air quality and public health of southern New Mexico,” State Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) said.
In the 2026 session, Steinborn introduced legislation that would have added requirements for private power plants to follow state laws requiring electricity generation from renewable resources. It failed to clear both chambers.
“New Mexico remains incredibly vulnerable to climate vultures coming in and setting up big polluting sites in the name of economic development, and our law does not protect us, our law does not create those guardrails,” he said.
Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces) said she was concerned federal regulators would rubber-stamp the proposal, despite community concerns.
“I’m flabbergasted — it is the only word that comes to mind,” she said in a call with Source NM. “It’s a threat to our democracy in the sense that people genuinely do not want this project here and it’s still moving forward as if it’s being supported.”
Last September, county officials approved $165 billion in bonds for the data center, even as the project estimates it could emit as much greenhouse gases as New Mexico’s two largest cities combined. Local environmental groups have accused local officials of violating state transparency laws and of an improper process in the bond vote.
Camilla Feibelman, director for the Rio Grande Sierra Club, said the organization would make formal objections to Energy Transfer’s proposal during the public comment period.
“If this company thinks that there won’t be any protests to turning New Mexico into a methane gas sacrifice zone, they have another thing coming,” she said.
