Democratic Party of Socorro County

Hello,

I am so sorry to be late with this email. It has been a crazy week! We just sent a long legal letter to the Land Commissioner asking her to reject Green Data’s sublease proposal with Spaceport, which is still under review, and that took a lot of preparation. We also have our county commission meeting on Tuesday and we’ve been preparing for that. Lastly, I have a toddler who hates when I use the computer or phone instead of paying attention to her, so I am struggling to catch up with everything.

It was great meeting you all last week, and we really appreciate you giving us your time. Here is a link to our petition asking our county commission to pass a moratorium on data centers, and here’s our Facebook page with lots of updates, including regarding our next commission meeting on Tuesday. Any support from Socorro is so appreciated, as we hope to follow in your footsteps and make it clear to technology companies that we do not want any data centers in our county. Anything you all need from us, to post or share with our network (which is small but growing!), please don’t hesitate to ask.

Best,

Sulome Anderson

If you are interested in keeping our home, Socorro County in good shape, not ripped off by mega-extractors, please join Protect SSocorro County- contact Val Thomas (Val.Thomas@nmt.edu) or Heather Kovach (heather.kovach@gmail.com). They are presently in need of a Treasurer, which I’ll (allan.sauter@gmail.com) be willing to train regarding reporting requirements. The following is a document that Val shared at the past Socorro County Democrat meeting:

Socorro County is at a crossroads. Large scale AI data center proposals are moving quickly here in New Mexico, and their impacts will not be theoretical or temporary. Those impacts will shape our water security, land use, emergency services capacity, and long term infrastructure planning for decades. Our state’s land and resources are not owned by any single institution or political group. They belong to the people of Socorro County, the people of New Mexico, and every stakeholder group has a responsibility to ensure they are protected.

Protect Socorro County was formed on the need for representation and activism. Critical decisions were being initiated without full public procedure, without transparent disclosure, and without the participation of the communities who would bear the consequences. We have already seen how rushed proposals create confusion, mistrust, and unnecessary conflict. When development of this scale bypasses local voices, it undermines the very systems meant to safeguard our county.

This is why we need support from all local parties. This is not a partisan issue, but a shared duty to uphold the basic principles of good governance. When Democrats, Republicans, Independents, tribal representatives, municipal leaders, and county residents stand together, we send a clear message: that no project should move forward without full environmental review, water impact analysis, and emergency services planning. Even with those safeguards  in place there must also be genuine community consent. Broad support also strengthens our ability to insist on accountability. Developers listen when they see unified local leadership. Agencies respond when they see coordinated civic engagement. Our county is safest when every group, regardless of ideology, insists on transparency, due diligence, and respect for public process.

Recently, our community achieved a significant victory when the NMT Green Data proposal was withdrawn. That outcome was not accidental, it was the result of informed residents, coordinated advocacy, and a unified insistence on proper procedure. It demonstrated what is possible when local stakeholders stand together and refuse to be sidelined.

But this win also revealed something larger: Socorro County is not alone. Across New Mexico, rural counties are facing similar pressures from high impact, resource intensive projects, like Project Jupiter, that often arrive with incomplete information and accelerated timelines. Many communities are now reaching out to us, asking how we organized, how we mobilized, and how we held developers and institutions accountable. We believe it is our responsibility to share what we’ve learned. 

Protect Socorro County is committed to supporting other counties by providing guidance, sharing documentation, and helping them build the same kind of broad, non-partisan action that made our success possible. Responsible development should be the standard across New Mexico, not the exception.

Protect Socorro County is not asking anyone to oppose technology or economic opportunity. We are asking for responsible development that honors our shared resources, our acequia traditions, our rural infrastructure limits, and the right of our community to make informed decisions about its future. After all, we cannot drink data, store food in the cloud, or raise our families in a digital landscape.

We invite all local parties to join us in this effort because it is the duty of anyone who cares about Socorro County’s long term wellbeing. Together, we can ensure that any development here is done with integrity, with full stakeholder participation, and with respect for the people who call Socorro County home.

-Val Thomas

Vice-President of Protect Socorro County

Anti-data center activity: Here’s Tara Jaramillo’s letter to us about why we should write to the NM Legislative Finance Committee. We need to email them and ask them not to let Tech build this data center. Emails at end of letter:

“Is AI here to stay? Probably. But that does not mean every community must accept massive data center development.

New Mexico is under increasing pressure to move toward “clean energy” and reduce dependence on oil and gas revenue. That shift is likely part of why large-scale data centers are being promoted across the state.

Unfortunately, I believe NMT — as a state institution — may have been caught up in a broader state-driven push for economic diversification without fully weighing the level of community concern and pushback these projects are creating. This idea was not created in a vacuum and would not be moving forward if NMT did not believe they had support from the State.

This is not about opposing innovation or economic growth. It is about responsible planning, transparency, and making sure New Mexico communities are not ignored in the process. Data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, and residents deserve honest conversations about the long-term impacts before decisions are made behind closed doors.

It is imperative that Santa Fe hears from you. Decisions will likely be made long before the legislative session begins in January.

The Legislative Finance Committee meets year-round, not just during the legislative session. Summer and fall meetings are often where priorities, funding assumptions, and political momentum are built before January bills are finalized. That makes early constituent outreach strategically important.

Do not underestimate your power in Santa Fe — but also understand that lobbyists, industry groups, and unions have already been hard at work convincing state leaders that New Mexico “needs” these projects.

That is why each of us must start reaching out now to our House and Senate members — especially the State Legislative Finance Committee this summer — to make sure they understand that many New Mexicans do not want our state turned into a testing ground for the AI and data center industry. Community consent, transparency, and full accountability should have been the first consideration, not the afterthought.

Please also remember: constructive and respectful communication leads to better outcomes. Our voices are strongest when we remain informed, professional, and united in advocating for our communities.The general email for the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee is:

lfc@nmlegis.Legislative Finance Committee emails:

Nathan.Small@nmlegis.gov

George.Munoz@nmlegis.gov

Pete.Campos@nmlegis.gov

Jack.Chatfield@nmlegis.gov

Meredith.Dixon@nmlegis.gov

Rebecca.Dow@nmlegis.gov

Bobby.Gonzales@nmlegis.gov

Susan.Herrera@nmlegis.gov

Steve.Lanier@nmlegis.gov

Derrick.Lente@nmlegis.gov

Joseph.Sanchez@nmlegis.gov

Benny.Shendo@nmlegis.gov

Nicole.Tobiassen@nmlegis.gov

Linda.Trujillo@nmlegis.gov

Harlan.Vincent@nmlegis.govPat.Woods@nmlegis.gov”
4. If you haven’t done so already, do write letters to the NM Tech Regents too. I saved postage by dropping them off at Brown Hall at Tech, upstairs in Room 201.
Regents’ names and address:

801 Leroy Place, Socorro NM 87801
a. President Michael Jackson

b. David Lepre, President of Regents

c. Jerry A. Armijo, VP

d. Yolanda Jones King, Sec.Tre.

e. Srinivas Mukkamala

f. Cody Johnston, Student member

Here’s my sample letter: 

Srinivas Mukkamala

Brown Hall

801 Leroy Place

Socorro NM 87801

May 19, 2026

Dear Mr. Mukkamala,

I’m a Socorro resident and adjunct faculty at Tech. I don’t want a data center or huge solar array erected in Socorro County. I’ve heard the facts, and I don’t need any more facts or monthly meetings or explanations from Green Data or Jason Bak. The environmental damage would be irreparable, and the city and county don’t stand to benefit from this project.

Please help nix this dangerous idea.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Christie Smith

1006 Leroy Place

Socorro NM 87801