COMMENTARY:
You may have seen the news that Doña Ana County county manager, Scott Andrews, has been terminated by the commission he once called, “my bold board of five.” Despite his lack of connections to Doña Ana County, Scott Andrews was hired on August 13th, 2024, to push economic development. Little did the community know, he would become a key instigator in bringing the detrimental AI data center, Project Jupiter, and its developers to our backyards.
Mired in haste and a lack of transparency, Project Jupiter's $165 billion IRB was voted on and approved, 4- 1, by the Board of County Commissioners without defining water use, power generation, pollution parameters, or other environmental impacts. Andrews claims to know the “facts”: a “$165 billion investment, the largest private project in New Mexico’s history.” 165 billion dollars is not being invested into this community, we only receive 0.2% of this so-called “wealth.” Next, “2,500+ construction jobs during buildout. 700+ ongoing high-paying jobs once operational.” These are promises and not facts. There are no legal obligations that will hold companies accountable to hire this many people from New Mexico. Finally, “Independent water and microgrid power systems (no strain on local utilities or taxpayers).” The water this project is using is sourced from the same aquifer that we drink from, the same source that supplies Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, therefore it is not independent. In addition, the microgrid power systems will produce 3 times the pollutants of El Paso Electric while our rates are increasing by 70%. [KRWG Public Media has reached out for confirmation of this claim]
When this project was finally revealed to residents, we had three weeks to desperately seek out information that was never publicly available, and still isn't. We learned later, Andrews had been negotiating for months with developers under non-disclosure agreements. He put Doña Ana County on the map for this extractive industry and presented it on a shiny platter to our commissioners.
A day after the infamous and un-democratic vote to approve the $165 billion IRB, Andrews posted on LinkedIn. He said, “I'm so proud of my team members for rising to the occasion… I can wholeheartedly tell you that civility was challenged yesterday. It's appalling how my board was treated. I am disgusted by the behavior of people. It’s gotten to the point where people cannot disagree civilly, they just have to raise their voices… It was ugly.”
What Scott Andrews fails to understand is that civility must be structured upon trust and respect. What happened on September 19th, 2025, and months prior, was far from democratic. Civility cannot be shown to incompetent politicians who represent and welcome billionaires to abuse our land and its people. When our public officials fail to represent us, civility dies.
Scott Andrews told me personally that he was here to “simply execute the will of the board.” However, Andrews has continued to back these shady industries and their lack of transparency over the people of this county. In June 2026, weeks before a promised public town hall, the county revealed that the meeting had been changed to an open house and job fair. On June 9th, Doña Ana County constituents called for his resignation during public comment alongside Undersheriff Robert Parra. Andrews stated, "We continue to hear from the same 50 people throughout the community that are really upset about this. But the ones that don’t come, are the ones that agree with it.”
What he fails to mention, and is now affirmed, is how an unelected county official from California put Doña Ana County on a map to be sold. In turn, harming the community he has never had an attachment to. Andrews represented and spoke for the industry, not the residents he claims to serve. Now, he has been fired by his own board and, in an article posted in May 2026, it is revealed that he is being considered for city manager in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. On July 16th, 2026, in a LinkedIn post he says, “If it costs you your peace… it is too expensive. Not every opinion deserves your attention.”
I guess the people of Doña Ana County cost Scott Andrews his peace. I believe the word for that is accountability. Adiós, Scott Andrews. Don’t forget to grab the “for-sale” sign you put up in Doña Ana County on your way out.
Annie Ersinghaus, Las Cruces, NM
Annie is an organizer with Fighting Chihuahuan Desert Extraction, FCDX
Annie Ersinghaus' opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.