A proposal to build a 10,000-acre data center and solar complex near Socorro, New Mexico, was scheduled to receive a public hearing this week. Instead, residents overwhelmed the meeting, turning a university town hall into a pointed rebuke of a project many see as a threat to local water, the landscape, and public trust.
At Tuesday's town hall at the Macey Center, New Mexico Tech President Michael Jackson had planned for Green Data executives to present their vision for a major development on nearby land, according to Source NM. But the company's seats sat empty for much of the nearly four-hour event as angry residents lined up at microphones, held signs, and repeatedly interrupted attempts to move the presentation along.
The proposed project, first publicly discussed in March, would combine a large data center with a massive solar array on 10,000 acres in Socorro. According to Source NM, Green Data CEO Jason Bak said it could be the world's largest "renewable-led" data center, powered by solar and supplied primarily by atmospheric water generation systems that extract moisture from the air.
Many people in attendance were unconvinced. Residents questioned why the public learned of the proposal months after records showed Bak and university leaders had entered into a letter of intent in January.
Others raised concerns about water use, pressure on the electric grid, and damage to the area's open desert views. Source NM reported that county officials unanimously took the first step last week toward considering a moratorium on data centers.
The dispute reflects a broader tension playing out across the country as energy-hungry data centers expand into communities already worried about shrinking water supplies, rising power demand, and industrial development reshaping local landscapes.
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In Socorro County, those concerns land especially hard. Residents described the proposed site not as empty land waiting to be used but as a fragile desert ecosystem that cannot easily recover once disturbed. In dry regions, even "green" branding can ring hollow if a project could worsen water stress or alter the character of the land.
There is also a trust issue. Public frustration appeared to deepen after residents learned the university had been in talks before many locals knew the project existed.
For now, the project remains in an early stage. Jackson said the university has not committed to moving forward and argued that the school is still doing its due diligence. He also said he plans to inspect Bak's atmospheric water generator to better understand whether it can realistically support a large facility.
Bak acknowledged the industry's reputation problem. "I understand where you're coming from. There's a sign there that says, 'Big data big lie' — you're not wrong," he said, according to Source NM. "I think big data has been bad [at] interfacing with communities in many different ways. I think we got off on the back foot because of the reputation of the industry."
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But skepticism intensified after one resident challenged his background, and Bak later said he had not built a data center before.
Opponents are calling for continued turnout at public meetings, including the upcoming New Mexico Tech Board of Regents meeting, while county leaders explore a possible moratorium.
"You cannot replant the desert. It's not an ecosystem that works like that. Once it's gone, it's gone," resident Cari Powell said.
Jackson, for his part, framed the issue this way: "Here's an opportunity where a company is interested in doing something that maybe can go ahead and bring some benefit to New Mexico Tech, to the City of Socorro, to the County of Socorro," he said. "And the question is: Have I done my due diligence, rather than just saying 'No' at the outset?"
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