This week, New Mexico’s gubernatorial candidates spoke about their respective plans regarding data centers, which are controversial both because they require lots of electricity and water, and, in turn, because they power artificial intelligence.
At a press conference Thursday, Democrat Deb Haaland said “On day one” after being sworn in, she will “sign an executive order that issues a moratorium on new large-scale data center projects” until certain “protections” are in place. Those protections include requirements that data centers build their own renewable energy infrastructure and have robust plans to prevent harms to the environment.
Responding to Haaland’s announcement, fellow candidate for New Mexico governor, Republican Gregg Hull, told KUNM News that “putting a moratorium on building [data centers] in New Mexico doesn’t put the genie back in the bottle” regarding artificial intelligence.
“So there’s a lot to be concerned about here other than just the building,” Hull said, and “there needs to be federal and state legislation with some heavy guardrails on how A.I. is used in various different circumstances.”
When asked about enforcing the environmental and other protections Haaland wants data center companies to follow, she said “that would be embedded into any rulemaking that the legislature decides to work up,” but that she would “insist on enforcement mechanisms.”
Hull, on the other hand, said he would want to use existing laws such as the New Mexico’s Local Economic Development Act, which, Hull said, “gives the state the authority to impose certain restrictions and negotiate certain deals before these large-scale companies come into the state.”
In response to a question as to whether Haaland’s proposed moratorium would make the state less competitive, she said no.
“I believe very strongly that if these large data centers have the guardrails in place and know exactly what they’re able to do here, that would help them as much as it helps the state of New Mexico,” Haaland said.
Haaland also emphasized “[New Mexico doesn’t] have water to waste” and “our environment is important.” Overall, Haaland said, restrictions will help industries be sustainable by “giving them the accountability and protection measures that they need to gauge how they’ll operate.”
In contrast, Hull said he trusts local counties and municipalities to make decisions about data centers in concert with the Economic Development Office, “the same as Project Jupiter was,” referring to the controversial data center project in Doña Ana county repeatedly challenged by environmental groups.
“I don’t believe we should send a nationwide message that New Mexico is closed for business by putting moratoriums on certain industries,” Hull said. “We have a few industries in the state that are high water users, and I’d hate to see us start putting moratoriums on companies like Intel Corporation or other corporations that are in the manufacturing industry right here in the state of New Mexico.”
So far, though, no candidate has proposed moratoriums on manufacturing companies already doing business here in New Mexico.
