Oracle, has filed an updated air quality permit application for Project Jupiter, a planned AI data center campus in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, replacing the original gas turbine and diesel generator design with a fuel cell microgrid built on technology from Bloom Energy, a California-based company that manufactures solid oxide fuel cell systems for commercial and industrial power generation.
The New Mexico Environment Department has reviewed the updated application and confirmed it is complete, opening a 30-day public comment period that allows state residents to weigh in before the permit process advances. The updated application was filed in April by Oracle and Yucca Growth Infrastructure, the development partner on the project.
The fuel cell design carries two material differences from the January submission. The updated plan projects a reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions of approximately 92 percent compared to the earlier gas turbine proposal, and the system requires minimal water for power generation after an initial startup fill, removing the need to draw from public drinking water supplies for either power or data center cooling.
Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, framed the change as both an environmental and community commitment:
"Project Jupiter represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for southern New Mexico. Our updated plan delivers reliable on-site power with a smaller environmental footprint and avoids using public drinking water for power generation or data center cooling. We're committed to transparency as the public review process moves forward and to ensuring Project Jupiter reflects the values and priorities of Doña Ana County residents."
Oracle has outlined a set of financial commitments tied to the project's development. The company says Project Jupiter is expected to generate an estimated $384 million in annual economic impact during construction and $113 million per year once the facility is operational. The project is projected to create more than 4,000 construction jobs, with local hiring listed as a priority, and support 1,500 ongoing positions after completion.
Separately, Oracle has committed $50 million toward local water system repairs and upgrades, $360 million in direct support for schools, infrastructure and local services, and $6.9 million for workforce development programs. The company has also stated it will fund the project's energy infrastructure and electricity costs without passing expenses to local ratepayers.
