By Abigail Salas | KRWG Public Media

In a unanimous order Sunday evening, the New Mexico Supreme Court has put a pause on Project Jupiter air quality and water use permits

The environmental advocacy group, New Energy Economy, filed a petition last week asking the Court to temporarily stop the air permit from proceeding. The group alleges a lack of due process.

The permit will be on pause until further order of the court.

In a statement, New Energy Economy Executive Director and Senior Attorney Mariel Nanasi called the decision by the court “an extraordinary and necessary intervention.”

A public hearing for the permit is scheduled for September 14th. It is unclear whether the hearing will still take place.

Project Jupiter’s water use was also halted as part of the order.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition challenging the approval of a well-drilling permit which the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer approved as an emergency authorization back in October, allowing a new well to be drilled for the data center’s construction.

The group says that since April, more than 103 million gallons of water have been pumped from the new well.

Responses for both orders are due on or before September 2nd.

KRWG has asked Oracle for a response to the court’s decision. They said they will continue to develop Project Jupiter responsibly, “We are committed to protecting New Mexico’s resources, are abiding by every applicable regulatory process and public review period, and have complied with every required timeline along the way. The New Mexico Environment Department’s air-permitting process includes a thorough technical review, with many opportunities for public input at every stage in the process. Project Jupiter is meeting applicable permitting requirements, stands ready to proceed with the department’s public hearing process, and is engaging with the community as that review moves forward.”

Abigail Salas is a multimedia journalist at KRWG Public Media. She came to KRWG with the New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies from NMSU in 2025. She is a Las Cruces native and is excited to share the stories of the people of the community and to give a voice to those that need one. 

This story was originally published by KRWG Public Media.