Sierra County
New Mexico county that passed an 18-month data-centre moratorium against a Spaceport America project.
Sierra County, New Mexico, unanimously passed an 18-month data-centre moratorium on 21 July 2026, the third county in the state to act, against a proposed Green Data site near Spaceport America.
Last refreshed: 4 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Sierra County ban data centres near Spaceport America?
Timeline for Sierra County
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Data Centres: Boom and BacklashPassed an 18-month data-centre moratorium
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: Sierra County joins New Mexico revoltBackground
Sierra County is a county in southern New Mexico, seated at Truth or Consequences.
Commissioners unanimously passed an 18-month moratorium on new data-centre development on 21 July 2026, the third county in the state to act after Santa Fe and Socorro. The vote followed more than an hour of public comment, nearly all of it opposed to a proposed solar-powered data centre from developer Green Data on state land near Spaceport America; commissioners amended a routine land-use resolution mid-meeting to add the moratorium after hearing residents' objections.
The vote adds Sierra to a widening New Mexico county revolt against hyperscale development, following Santa Fe's own moratorium. State lawmakers have pledged to introduce a statewide moratorium bill in the 2027 legislative session, which would be a first for any US state.
Is there a statewide New Mexico data-centre moratorium?
Which New Mexico counties have banned data centres?
How long is Sierra County's data-centre moratorium?
Why did Sierra County pass a data-centre moratorium?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 4 August 2026. Editorial standards.