Socorro residents pack city hall to oppose data center

More than 140 people voiced concerns over water, health and economic risks

BY JESSICA CARRANZA PINO

EL DEFENSOR CHIEFTAIN EDITOR/ PUBLISHER

SOCORRO — The City Hall Chambers reached capacity during the public forum on Green Data, with an estimated 140 attendees spilling into the hallway and thousands of viewers watching the livestream about the proposed data center.

In attendance were representatives from New Mexico Tech, the Socorro Electric Co-op, Socorro County and a representative of Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-New Mexico, along with residents from Socorro County.

Public concerns

More than a dozen locals who identified themselves as ranchers, farmers, longtime residents, educators, medical professionals, Tech employees and Magdalena residents said they were opposed to the data center, believing it was a high-risk, low-benefit project that threatens water, health, land, culture and the local economy while offering little concrete proof of jobs or revenue.

Yellowstone Actor Forrie Smith expressed concern that a data center would take water away from farmers and ranchers.

“Rural America feeds America,” he said.

“One good thing I see, no matter what happens, is it’s bringing us together again. The whole community is coming together to fight here. And when it comes down to it, this is no good.” Smith said.

Smith asked the elected officials whether any of them had signed a non-disclosure agreement for the project, and, individually, the council members and the mayor said no.

Speakers commented that the data center proposal was vague, lacked transparency and was clouded by NDAs, rumors and is being proposed by an unproven company with no visible track record or clear financing.

Water was the primary con-

Acting New Mexico Tech President Michael Jackson speaking at the Public Forum.

JESSICA CARRANZA PINO

cern; it was argued that a massive data center could deplete aquifers and contaminate groundwater in a community already facing well declines.

Health and environmental risks were also highlighted, including noise, pollution, heat domes, dust, nuclear waste and potential battery fires.

Some speakers warned that the project would damage historic sites, dark skies, wildlife corridors, hunting-based income and the rural character that draws residents and visitors to Socorro County.

When Mayor Ravi Bhasker asked the crowd if anyone was in favor of the data center, no one came forward.

Some questioned the feasibility of the project, citing high costs, terrain challenges and the national history of failed data center projects.

Speakers called for a moratorium on development until proper study and public input occur.

New Mexico Tech comments

Acting New Mexico Tech President Michael Jackson spoke at the podium, saying that on May 19, a town hall on the data center at Macey Center was scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. He said the plan is to begin with an overview of the project and a timeline of where things stand, followed by addressing key questions.

He said it would be the first in a series of monthly town hall meetings. He said the sessions will also be available via Zoom, so people who cannot attend in person can still participate.

Jackson said he hoped to publish around 15–20 questions and answers in advance of that meeting, and to repeat the pattern before subsequent town halls. He added that Green Data will be invited to the May 19 session and later meetings.

“I am somewhat indifferent as to whether or not we will move forward on this,” Jackson said. “This is an opportunity that was brought to us by a company. My job and as a leading institution is to look for opportunities that will go ahead and provide resources, access to research, or education for our students.”

In the end, the decision isn’t his, said Jackson, and the project will go through a variety of local and state approval processes.

New Mexico Tech Vice President for Administration and Finance Delilah Walsh addressed two concerns raised: the New Mexico Tech Data Center on campus and the NDA.

Delilah Walsh said New Mexico Tech already has its own data center activity on campus, but that it is separate from the proposed Green Data project. She said Tech is building a high‑speed computing center for campus computing and research, where they are “putting in server racks and things that we need to function as a university in today’s computer science and data environment.”

She said Tech did not sign an NDA, but “a letter to negotiate”— essentially an agreement to talk, contingent on Green Data answering an extensive list of technical and financial questions.

Mayor & council comments

Mayor Ravi Bhasker said the community cannot “just shut our mind to that kind of stuff” if it wants to avoid going backward and continuing to lose population.

“We’re at the edge of an industrial revolution with (artificial intelligence), whether we like it or not,” Bhasker said. “The bottom line is with data centers and AI, we’re at the beginning of a revolution for the next 25 years.”

He said he would support a moratorium, put it on the city council agenda and work with others so the public can get more facts before any decisions are made.

Socorro’s city councilors also raised concerns about the project.

“I have not had one person, one constituent, reach out to me in favor of this, and therefore we represent the people that elect us,” City Councilor Joel Partridge said.

Green Data comments

Green Data CEO Jason Bak, who was not present, told the Chieftain on Thursday that he did not attend the forum because his company is focusing on the New Mexico Tech town halls.

“(We) see May 19 as the start of an ongoing conversation, not a one-time pitch,” Bak said, “We’ve committed to monthly town halls through September.”

Bak, who originally said he would post answers to submitted questions before the forum, said they were finishing answering the questions which will be published before the May 19 NM Tech town hall.

“The community deserves answers, and we’re committed to earning that trust over time,” Bak said.