Public Comment Period for Project Jupiter’s Proposed Microgrid Air Quality Construction Permits Must be Extended
After a careful review of the inconsistent public notices for the proposed Doña Ana County East and West Microgrids Air Quality Construction Permits for Project Jupiter, CCNS found them to be defective. The discrepancies require a restart of the public comment periods for the proposed $165 billion microgrid facilities that will emit up to 13 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually
– more than yearly emissions generated by Las Cruces, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Currently, public comments are due on Monday, March 2, 2026 to the New Mexico Environment Department.
Please note: The Environment Department plans to issue the permits on or before April 22, 2026. Time is of the essence!
See links to East Microgrid:
https://cloud.env.nm.gov/resources/_translator.php/OWE3YjM3ODZlNTQyYzIwNDM2M2I3MDI5MF8yMTYwMTQ~.pdf ; in Spanish https://cloud.env.nm.gov/resources/_translator.php/ODg5YTg5ZGFhODJiNTg1ODQ0OGQ3NWUxM18yMTY0NDM~.pdf ;
See links to West Microgrid: https://cloud.env.nm.gov/resources/_translator.php/NzA5N2QwODU2NmU0ODRhZTQ5MTIxYjEyMl8yMTYwMDc~.pdf ; in Spanish
https://cloud.env.nm.gov/resources/_translator.php/N2I3N2ZjMzgyOGRlMzQzZDcxYTU3ZDU5OF8yMTY0NDU~.pdf
State law requires the Department to provide opportunities for the public to make comments on issues of concern. CCNS found problems.
For example, if one clicks the “Calendar” box on the right side of the home page, one arrives at the “Events Calendar.” https://www.env.nm.gov/events-calendar/?trumbaEmbed=template%3Dtable%26date%3D20260301%26index%3D0%26-template Under that title there are four tiny boxes entitled “Tile,” “List,” “Month,” and “Table.” Each one provides a different format to review public notices, due dates for the end of public comment periods, etc. The public notices in English first appeared on the website on January 26th for a 30-day comment period. On January 30th, the public notices in Spanish were posted for a 30-day comment period. Comments are now due on Monday, March 2nd. 
CCNS found that while the public notices to provide comments are found under “List” and “Month,” they are not found under “Tile” and “Table” listings. Clicking on one of the boxes may have provided the required information. Clicking on another, one would come up empty handed.
CCNS submitted comments to the Department’s Air Quality Bureau, citing the inconsistencies. We wrote, “In summary, the public has a [] chance of clicking on the options under the “Events Calendar” to access correct information about the public notices and the end of the comment period, etc. Please ensure that all four options: Tile, List, Month and Table provide consistent notice to the public. It shouldn’t be a matter of chance whether the public will easily find consistent public notices.”
On Wednesday, February 25th, CCNS took screen shots of the listings. They are available here – 260226 Screen Shots of NMED Events Calendar Project Jupiter.
FEBRUARY 2026 NO TILE LISTINGS
MARCH 2026 NO TILE LISTINGS
FEBRUARY 2026 LIST LISTINGS
MARCH 2026 LIST LISTINGS
FEBRUARY 2026 MONTH LISTINGS
MARCH 2026 MONTH LISTINGS
FEBRUARY 2026 NO TABLE LISTINGS
MARCH 2026 NO TABLE LISTINGS
Due to the inconsistencies, please join CCNS in requesting at least a 30-day extension of the comment period.
For more information, go to the New Mexico Environmental Law Center’s e-blast at https://conta.cc/4r0uEJh. Scroll down the homepage to sample public comments you can use and modify about both the East and West Project Jupiter Microgrids at https://nmelc.org/.
- Friday, February 27th from noon to 1 pm –
Join the nuclear disarmament community at the intersection of East Alameda and Sandoval in Santa Fe for the weekly peaceful protest in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Join with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, New Mexico Peace Fest, Pax Christi and others. Bring your flags, signs and banners.
- Submit by Sunday, March 1, 2026 –
Youth Environmental Photo Contest NOW open for Submissions. Hosted by Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (Tri-Valley CAREs), Livermore, CA. Submit an original photo focused on environment issues for a chance to win up to $750 in cash prizes. Entries should be accompanied by a caption or short passage (up to 500 words). All styles welcome. Contestants must be 10 to 25 years old. https://trivalleycares.org/2026/tri-valley-cares-2026-youth-environmental-photo-contest
- Sunday, March 1st from 2 pm to 3:15 pm Mountain Time
– School of Peace & Freedom – National Virtual Teach-In, organized by the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF). Seasoned activist share lessons learned. Young activists share lived experiences and new ways of mobilizing. History repeats itself. So, we share knowledge to stop the cycle. Presenters: Isabel Belmonte, Gender Advocate; Sofia F., Palestine Advocate; and Dr. Judith McDaniel, International Human Rights Law Professor. Registration at https://tinyurl.com/wilpfpeace
- Monday, March 2nd –
Comments due on Project Jupiter. See this week’s CCNS News Update at https://nuclearactive.org/ for information, links to sample comments, etc. NMED plans to issue the permits on April 22, 2026.
- Wednesday, March 4th from 2 pm to 3:30 pm MST
at Cities of Gold Hotel, Tribal Room, Pojoaque – an hybrid public meeting about Monitoring Storm Water Runoff from LANL under the EPA’s Individual Stormwater Permit. For more information, go to: https://ext.em-la.doe.gov/ips/Home/PublicMeetings
6. Friday, March 6th – 
Last day to provide public comments to the NM Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) about the proposed new Rule 20.13.2 NMAC – Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Consumer Products. See Notice under Statewide/Across Multiple Counties https://www.env.nm.gov/public-notices/ and https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-02-20-COMMS-NMED-launches-PFAS-dashboard-for-drinking-water-systems-Final.pdf
Tags: $165 billion microgrid facilities, Doña Ana County East and West Microgrids Air Quality Construction Permits for Project Jupiter, English, greenhouse gas emissions, List, Month, New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico Environmental Law Center, NMED, NMED Calendar, NMED Events Calendar, public notices, sample public comments, screen shots, Spanish, Table, Tile
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