Socorro County Manager Appoints Data Center Moratorium Committee

Joe Chavez, the Socorro County Manager, is selecting 15 members from a pool of 35 applicants to form the Data Center Moratorium Blue Ribbon Committee. This action follows a unanimous vote by the Socorro County Commission on June 9 to establish a one-year moratorium on data centers and their supporting infrastructure.

The committee is tasked with studying critical factors including water usage and rights, energy infrastructure, public safety, environmental impacts, subdivision standards, and site restoration procedures. These findings will serve as non-binding advisory recommendations to the county board, which must be delivered at least two months before the moratorium expires.

Chavez indicated he will coordinate a meeting between the committee members and the county attorney in the manager's conference room to begin the process. While the New Mexico Open Meetings Act does not apply to this group, the meetings will remain open to the public with reasonable notice.