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Sierra County
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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

Key Question

Why did Sierra County ban data centres near Spaceport America?

Timeline for Sierra County

#13 11 Aug
#12 3 Aug
#11 21 Jul

Passed an 18-month data-centre moratorium

Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: Sierra County joins New Mexico revolt
View full timeline →

Background

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.

Common Questions
Is there a statewide New Mexico data-centre moratorium?
Not yet. state lawmakers have pledged to introduce a statewide moratorium bill in the 2027 legislative session.Source: kob.com
Which New Mexico counties have banned data centres?
Santa Fe, Socorro and Sierra counties have all adopted temporary data-centre moratoriums in 2026, with state lawmakers pledging a statewide bill for 2027.Source: sourcenm.com
How long is Sierra County's data-centre moratorium?
Sierra County's moratorium runs 18 months from 21 July 2026.Source: abqjournal.com
Why did Sierra County pass a data-centre moratorium?
Sierra County commissioners passed the moratorium after more than an hour of public comment, almost all opposed to a proposed solar-powered data centre from developer Green Data near Spaceport America.Source: abqjournal.com