Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — Rep. Gabe Vasquez is calling for a slow down. Vasquez is calling county officials in New Mexico to approve a temporary moratorium on building new data centers. The announcement coming after a Canadian developer made the controversial proposal to build a data center and solar array on 10,000 acres in Socorro County. Residents have mobilized against the project, which company CEO Jason Bak has said would be the world’s largest “renewable-led” data center. Bak has previously said that the “vast majority” of water for the project would come from cutting-edge “atmospheric water generation,” a technology that aims to pull moisture from the air and convert it into usable water. Vasquez, whose congressional district includes much of Southern New Mexico, said the proposal would “permanently alter” the region’s night sky and imperil its wildlife corridors.
