Santa Fe New Mexican Homepage | Santa Fe New Mexic reports: Using an expedited review process, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday authorized a nearly 18-mile natural gas pipeline for a controversial proposed data center in Southern New Mexico.The federal agency and Transwestern Pipeline Co., a Texas company owned by Energy Transfer, are now finalizing rights of way for the Green Chile Natural Gas Pipeline, which would cross about 16 miles of federal land in Doña Ana County, according to an announcement from the BLM's Las Cruces office. A map from Energy Transfer's application to federal regulators shows the patchwork of land ownership that makes up the route of the planned pipeline.
The pipeline, proposed to serve power plants for the massive Project Jupiter data center project near Santa Teresa, was authorized under a 14-day emergency environmental review process, according to the BLM. In April 2025, following President Donald Trump's declaration of a "national energy emergency," the Department of the Interior announced it would use emergency permitting processes to speed energy and critical mineral development, including energy transport. That includes an expedited 14-day, environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, which would typically take about a year.
Background
“President Trump has made it clear that our energy security is national security, and these emergency procedures reflect our unwavering commitment to protecting both," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement at the time. Last week, however, Project Jupiter developers announced they were overhauling their plan to power the facility, switching from natural gas-powered turbines to fuel cells from Bloom Energy. The impact of that change on the pipeline is unclear.
Key facts
- Using an expedited review process, the U.S.
- A map from Energy Transfer's application to federal regulators shows the patchwork of land ownership that makes up the route of the planned pipeline.
- That includes an expedited 14-day, environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, which would typically take about a year.
What this means
A spokesperson for Energy Transfer did not respond to questions about the regulatory process or if the new technology would have any effect on demand.While the pipeline successfully cleared BLM's analysis with a finding of no significant impact, it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the project, whose opponents have raised concerns about the data center's water usage and potential climate impact. Supporters say it will bring jobs and other economic benefits to the borderlands.In March, the New Mexico State Land Office denied right-of-way permits for the pipeline's route, which crosses about a mile of state land, according to maps submitted to federal regulators.
The pipeline the BLM authorized Wednesday still appears to run through state lands, according to a map included with the application.
Originally reported by Santa Fe New Mexican Homepage | Santa Fe New Mexic. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
