Scott Brocato recently spoke with Norm Gaume, president of New Mexico Water Advocates, about the organization's monthly educational workshops, Project Jupiter, and what he feels are the biggest water concerns for New Mexico.
Scott Brocato:
Talk about the New Mexico Water Advocates, the organization and its mission.
Norm Gaume:
We are a small nonprofit corporation. We were incorporated in 1998 to prepare the first regional water plan for the middle Rio Grande. And we have become an activist organization now, pressing the governments at multiple levels to do the right thing with respect to water.
Scott Brocato:
You also offer workshops on the third Thursday of every month. You had one last week about Project Jupiter. When did the workshops start, and do you know when the next workshop is for December? Do you have a topic planned?
Norm Gaume:
We started doing workshops a little over, I think, two-and-a-half years ago, and our intention is educating the public about our water issues. I think unless the public becomes more aware of the severe bind we're in, they're not going to press the politicians to take action. And right now, the politicians are not taking enough action.
So we have workshops every third Thursday. We strive for a variety of speakers on interesting topics. My idea for the workshop last week was hearing representatives (Micaela Lara) Cadena and (Angelica) Rubio speak to the issue of Project Jupiter. before the legislature's interim Water and Natural Resources Committee in Artesia. And I thought that was quite good and I was interested in it myself, so that's why we did this workshop.
Scott Brocato:
And the full title of last Thursday's workshop is “Project Jupiter: Corporate AI Demands Threaten Community Health.” How is community health threatened?
Norm Gaume:
Well, there's a massive air pollution load from the gas generators that are going to supply all the power to this little island. They call it a microgrid, but the only thing that's “micro” about it is the physical size. You know, it's a gigawatt grid. It's 1000 megawatts of electricity demand and generation on one small campus powered by natural gas, fracked gas.
Scott Brocato:
And what other issues concern you about Project Jupiter overall?
Norm Gaume:
Well, it's really interesting to compare the Meta data center projects: one in Los Lunas, which is largely supported by solar power now from Public Service Company of New Mexico, and the one that Meta's planning in northeast El Paso. There, they're getting their electricity from the utility, part of it's solar. The water's coming from El Paso Water Utility. I think the pollution load is the same, but I suspect El Paso Electric has much more efficient generators. I mean, the generation system that's going in for Project Jupiter is about the least efficient you could find.
Scott Brocato:
In what way?
Norm Gaume:
In the way that it converts fracked gas energy into electricity. So much of that energy goes to waste.
Scott Brocato:
In general, what are some other ongoing water issues that concern you, outside of Project Jupiter?
Norm Gaume:
Well, the biggest issues we have--and thank you for that broad question--are that we are overusing the water we have. We have a history of groundwater pumping. We don't know how much groundwater is left in many areas of the state. Business as usual is going to be a disaster for us because we're both overusing our water resources. And the supply is being substantially diminished by climate change and increasing temperatures. and that's another aspect of Project Jupiter that I think is very objectionable. The huge carbon footprint when carbon in the atmosphere and methane are what's taking New Mexico's water away.
Scott Brocato:
Norm Gaume, president of New Mexico Water Advocates, thank you for coming in and talking with KRWG Public Media.
Norm Gaume:
I appreciate it, Scott. Thanks for the invitation.
