By Bob Clark
At Clayco, we believe the most consequential construction projects are about far more than concrete, steel and square footage. They are about the people and communities that make them possible. That is why we are proud to be helping build Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County alongside Kiewit New Mexico Co., Oracle, STACK Infrastructure, local workers and union tradespeople.
America is at an inflection point in artificial intelligence. AI can accelerate discoveries in medicine, improve public services, expand educational opportunities for our children and strengthen our national security. But realizing those benefits depends on America remaining the world’s preeminent AI leader — and that requires the infrastructure to support the technology.
Projects such as Jupiter are essential to that national imperative to help advance U.S. AI leadership and help ensure the benefits of AI reach everyone. Just as important, the work to build this infrastructure gives our country a real opportunity to reindustrialize: to create skilled careers, strengthen supply chains and build enduring economic capacity in communities across America.
Southern New Mexico is already seeing those benefits. Project Jupiter is expected to generate billions of dollars in long-term economic impact for New Mexico and Doña Ana County. It is on pace to create more than 7,000 construction jobs and 1,500 ongoing project-supported jobs after construction, with a focus on local hiring and workforce development.
To date, nearly 1,000 New Mexico residents — including 466 from Doña Ana County — have worked on the project.
Union labor has been fundamental to this progress. Across the trades, more than 900 union members have contributed to Project Jupiter to date. Together, 3,600-plus workers have completed more than 2.8 million labor hours. Their focus on safety, expertise, professionalism and pride in craftsmanship are visible every day on this campus.
A responsible data center begins with an honest relationship with its neighbors. People deserve to know what is being built, how it will operate and how concerns will be addressed.
Project Jupiter is a comprehensive community investment being built with a clear commitment to responsibility and transparency. Communities deserve direct, understandable information about major infrastructure in their backyard.
Project Jupiter is designed to make that conversation easier, including through a public dashboard that, once the campus is live, will share in-depth, up-to-date information on its environmental performance, including onsite noise, water use, heat, light and emissions. Transparency cannot be an afterthought; it must be part of the foundation.
That same discipline guides the campus’ environmental approach. The project is being designed with efficient, low-emissions power and minimal water use in mind, while protecting local electricity costs and grid stability. These are not side considerations to be handled after the fact; they are part of how a modern data center should be planned and built from day one.
Water is especially important in southern New Mexico, and it has shaped the way this campus is being designed. Project Jupiter will use closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling that continuously reuses liquid in sealed systems, and its cooling systems and fuel cells will not use community drinking water.
We believe responsible construction means listening closely to what matters locally and designing accordingly — particularly when it comes to a resource as essential as water.
The commitment also extends beyond the fence line. Project Jupiter includes meaningful support for local water systems, schools, infrastructure, workforce development and community organizations. It also supports tools that can help New Mexico farmers make better use of water. The point is straightforward: a project this significant should leave its community stronger, not simply larger.
We recently marked a major milestone: Clayco and Kiewit placed the final structural beam atop the 855,000-square-foot first portion of the campus, completing its primary structural framework. This means Project Jupiter is now more than 25% complete.
That progress is a testament to the workforce and to the promise of this region. Clayco is honored to help build a campus that will advance American innovation while creating lasting opportunities for the people of southern New Mexico.
Bob Clark, executive chairman and founder of Clayco, a real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm headquartered in St. Louis.
The post Opinion: Project Jupiter can strengthen southern New Mexico while advancing U.S. AI appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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