AGP Executive Report

Tech Accountability: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over misleading claims about Facebook user privacy. Meta plans to appeal, while Attorney General Raúl Torrez says AI companies’ handling of consumer data will face scrutiny next. Water and Data Centers: Rio Rancho officials got a briefing on the Albuquerque Basin aquifer and upcoming mapping flights as developers eye New Mexico for data centers. Counties have passed moratoriums, with concerns over water and power demand shaping the debate. Local Innovation: New Mexico’s first Tech Week spotlighted quantum technology and startup investment. NMSU also received nearly $2.85 million in state funding for a geothermal energy project. Aviation Research: An autonomous Cessna flew in New Mexico under a federal program, showcasing the state’s role in testing emerging aircraft technology.

Water Science: Rio Rancho officials heard how the Albuquerque Basin supplies the city, with aquifer-mapping flights planned to improve understanding of groundwater. New Mexico Tech and the state Bureau of Geology contributed to the briefing. AI Infrastructure: Data-center projects are expanding in New Mexico, including the Oracle-OpenAI facility in Doña Ana County, while residents and officials weigh demands on water, power and local infrastructure. Tech Accountability: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over Facebook privacy violations. Attorney General Raúl Torrez says companies developing AI products and handling consumer data are also on his radar. Energy Research: NMSU received nearly $2.85 million in state funding for a geothermal energy project. Wildlife Science: An NMSU researcher documented a rare wild cat in New Mexico for the first time in more than 25 years.

AI Accountability: New Mexico’s $25 billion privacy judgment against Meta is drawing national attention. Attorney General Raúl Torrez says AI companies that misrepresent how their products work or use personal data could be next under scrutiny. Data Center Debate: The state is courting major projects, including a planned Oracle-OpenAI campus in Doña Ana County, while Grant County approved a one-year moratorium on data centers and related infrastructure amid concerns over water, power and local impacts. Aviation Technology: Reliable Robotics completed its first automated flights at Albuquerque’s Sunport under a federal program. Research and Infrastructure: NMSU received nearly $2.85 million in state funding for a geothermal energy project, and a New Mexico broadband cooperative signed its first BEAD agreement to begin construction.

Data Center Pause: Grant County approved a one-year ban on data centers and related infrastructure, saying residents need more information before projects move ahead. Tech Supply Chain: The U.S. designated helium a critical material, citing supply risks and its role in semiconductor manufacturing. Meta Privacy Case: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over misleading claims about Facebook users’ data; the company plans to appeal. Autonomous Aviation: Reliable Robotics completed automated flights at Albuquerque’s Sunport, advancing tests of self-flying cargo aircraft. Geothermal Research: NMSU received nearly $2.85 million in state funding to explore geothermal energy in Las Cruces.

Critical Materials: The U.S. designated helium a critical material, citing its essential role in chipmaking and risks to global supply—an issue for semiconductor manufacturers and research labs. Data Centers: New Mexico counties are weighing rules or moratoriums as they assess data centers’ demands for power and water; Santa Teresa’s Project Jupiter includes planned gas-powered generation. Wildlife Research: An NMSU researcher photographed a Canada lynx in the Carson National Forest, the first documented sighting in New Mexico in more than 25 years. Big Tech: A state judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over consumer-protection violations tied to Facebook data practices; the company plans to appeal. Homegrown Innovation: A Los Alamos scientist’s AI materials startup plans to bring 80 jobs to Nambé Pueblo, while NMSU received nearly $2.85 million for geothermal research in Las Cruces. Aviation: An autonomous Cessna flew in New Mexico under a federal program, highlighting the state’s role in testing new aircraft technology.

Four Corners Flooding: Historic floodwaters have prompted evacuations and rescues across northern New Mexico and neighboring states, with more rain expected. Wildlife Research: An NMSU researcher photographed a Canada lynx in the Carson National Forest, the first documented sighting in New Mexico in more than 25 years. Critical Materials: The U.S. has designated helium essential to semiconductor manufacturing, citing risks to global supply. Tech Accountability: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over consumer-protection violations; the company plans to appeal. Data Center Debate: Counties are weighing rules on power, water, noise and emissions as they study or pause data-center projects. Innovation and Access: New Mexico’s first Tech Week spotlighted quantum innovation, while a rural co-op signed its first federal broadband construction agreement.

Privacy and Big Tech: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found more than 43 million violations of state consumer-protection law tied to Facebook’s privacy claims. Meta plans to appeal. Autonomous Flight: Reliable Robotics completed its first automated flights at Albuquerque’s Sunport, advancing testing of pilotless aircraft. Rural Broadband: Kit Carson Electric Cooperative signed New Mexico’s first federal BEAD grant agreement: $26.9 million, plus more than $12 million in matching funds, to bring fiber to 3,935 locations across five northern counties. Quantum and Startups: New Mexico held its first Tech Week, showcasing quantum innovation and the state’s growing venture-capital scene. Clean Energy: NMSU received nearly $2.85 million in state funding for a geothermal energy project. Research Infrastructure: Federal plans to demolish the Sunspot Observatory are moving ahead, raising concerns about the future of the research site.

Big Tech Accountability: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over Facebook privacy violations tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Meta says it will appeal, making the case a landmark test of state power over tech companies. Agriculture & Biosecurity: New World screwworm was confirmed in a New Mexico beef cow and a Texas elk, raising concerns about the parasite’s spread among livestock and wildlife. Quantum Momentum: New Mexico held its first Tech Week, spotlighting the state’s growing quantum sector and startup investment. Clean Energy: NMSU received nearly $2.85 million in state funding to explore geothermal heat near Las Cruces. Autonomous Flight: Reliable Robotics completed automated aircraft flights at Albuquerque’s Sunport, advancing self-flying cargo technology. Local Innovation: A Los Alamos scientist’s AI materials startup plans to bring 80 jobs to Nambé Pueblo.

Privacy Ruling: A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company misled users about Facebook data privacy in nearly 44 million violations. Meta plans to appeal; the penalty could send a major warning to tech companies operating in the state. Tech Week: New Mexico’s first statewide Tech Week runs Oct. 26–31, bringing founders, researchers and investors together for events on quantum computing, startups and more. Organizers expect 2,000 attendees as venture investment in the state rises. Autonomous Aviation: Reliable Robotics has completed its first automated flights at Albuquerque’s Sunport, advancing efforts to bring self-flying cargo planes into service. Geothermal Research: NMSU received $2.85 million to explore underground heat as a potential energy source near Las Cruces. Water Research: A new study finds the Upper Colorado River Basin—including New Mexico—lost nearly twice as much groundwater as the Lower Basin during the 2020–22 drought, challenging assumptions about the region’s resilience.

Privacy and Tech: A Santa Fe judge ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found more than 43 million violations of state consumer-protection law tied to Facebook’s privacy claims. Meta plans to appeal. Autonomous Aviation: Reliable Robotics completed automated flights at Albuquerque’s Sunport, testing remote operation of a cargo plane with a safety pilot aboard. AI Jobs: A Los Alamos scientist’s AI materials startup plans to bring 80 jobs to Nambé Pueblo. Clean Energy: NMSU received $2.85 million to explore geothermal heat in Las Cruces. Science Infrastructure: Federal plans to demolish Sunspot Observatory in 2027 face continued local opposition. State IT: A legislative review found four major New Mexico computer projects exceeded cost estimates by a combined $450 million.

Digital Access: New Mexico has committed another $340,750 to expand computer access and digital-skills training statewide, after the DiverseIT program distributed 170 laptops since January. AI and Jobs: A Los Alamos scientist’s AI materials startup plans to bring 80 jobs to Nambé Pueblo. Clean Energy: NMSU received $2.85 million to map potential geothermal resources beneath Las Cruces and build a 3D model. Autonomous Aviation: A remotely piloted Caravan flew at Albuquerque Sunport in an advanced-air-mobility demonstration. Data Centers: Oracle says delays could affect its New Mexico Project Jupiter, underscoring the financing and infrastructure challenges facing the AI buildout. Water Research: A study estimates the Upper Colorado River Basin lost 4.6 trillion gallons of groundwater during the 2020–22 drought, highlighting pressure on supplies across the region, including New Mexico. Science Heritage: The NSF plans to demolish Sunspot’s historic Dunn Solar Telescope in 2027, citing hazardous materials; removable instruments may be preserved. State Technology: New Mexico’s four largest active IT projects are about $456 million over budget, with delays reaching years. Ice Age History: White Sands footprints dated to about 23,000 years ago offer clues to how early people adapted to severe climate shifts.

AI & Manufacturing: A Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist’s startup, Discovery 2 Scale, won $500,000 in state support to expand in Nambé Pueblo and plans to create 80 jobs making advanced materials with AI and robotics. Autonomous Aviation: Reliable Robotics raised $115 million and tested a remotely piloted cargo plane at Albuquerque’s Sunport. The company is pursuing FAA approval for autonomous flights, including proposed routes linking Albuquerque with Santa Fe and Durango. Digital Access: New Mexico awarded $340,750 to DiverseIT to provide computers and digital-skills training statewide; the program has distributed 170 laptops since January. Water & Data Centers: A study estimates the Upper Colorado River Basin, including New Mexico, lost 4.6 trillion gallons of groundwater during the 2020–22 drought. In Sierra County, officials discussed studying data-center impacts during a moratorium, with residents urging public input. State Technology: New Mexico’s four largest active IT projects are now about $456 million over their original budgets, with delays stretching some projects by years.

AI Infrastructure: New Mexico’s Project Jupiter data center is a case study in the AI boom’s growing constraints: Oracle issued a force majeure notice after regulators blocked a proposed gas pipeline, while grid limits and local opposition threaten projects nationwide. Defense Technology: The Army approved production of extended-range GMLRS rockets after tests at White Sands Missile Range; the rockets can reach targets up to 150 kilometers away using existing launchers. Water Innovation: New Mexico is using satellite radar, AI and field inspections to help utilities spot underground leaks and conserve water. Ancient Climate: Research on 23,000-year-old footprints at White Sands links early inhabitants to abrupt shifts from wet to dry conditions, offering a contrast with today’s rapid warming. Solar Science: Federal agencies are pressing ahead with plans to demolish the Dunn Solar Telescope at Sacramento Peak, while assessing hazardous materials and funding an exhibit on the observatory’s scientific contributions. Tech Accountability: A New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for more than 43 million alleged state-law violations over deceptive claims about user privacy and safety; a judge will decide penalties.

Water-Watching Technology: New Mexico’s LeakTracer program combines satellite radar, AI and field inspections to help utilities spot underground drinking-water leaks, including in smaller communities. Tech Accountability: A Santa Fe jury found Facebook committed nearly 43.9 million state consumer-law violations; a judge will decide penalties, which could reach billions of dollars. First Americans: Research on White Sands’ ancient footprints points to humans living in New Mexico as the landscape changed rapidly during the last ice age; a separate DNA review estimates people reached the Americas between 14,000 and 20,000 years ago. Data Center Debate: Oracle says construction at Project Jupiter is moving quickly and promises carbon-free energy matching by 2031, as the New Mexico project faces scrutiny over power, water and climate goals. Solar Science at Risk: Federal agencies are pressing ahead with plans to demolish the Dunn Solar Telescope at Sacramento Peak, citing mercury contamination; they have pledged up to $100,000 for an exhibit or signs about its scientific legacy. Space Research: Virgin Galactic and the Air Force Research Laboratory are teaming up on space-weather research, extending New Mexico’s role in aerospace and atmospheric science.

Stratospheric Connectivity: A Sceye platform launched from Roswell flew to Japan, where SoftBank and Sceye tested phone calls, emergency alerts, drone links and edge computing—an early step toward commercial high-altitude service. Space Weather: Virgin Galactic and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland will use the company’s next-generation spacecraft to gather data from a poorly observed layer of the atmosphere, supporting research into space weather and its effects on communications and navigation. Data Center Pressure: AI data center growth is intensifying power and climate concerns in New Mexico and Texas, while a separate report says residents have secured a partial win in their fight to save a New Mexico solar observatory from demolition. Ancient New Mexico: Research on White Sands’ fossil footprints is reshaping accounts of early human life in the Americas, highlighting how people endured major ice-age climate swings.

Space Research: Virgin Galactic and Kirtland Air Force Base’s Air Force Research Laboratory will use the company’s next-generation spacecraft to gather data on a poorly observed region of the upper atmosphere, advancing space-weather research. Stratospheric Networks: Roswell-based Sceye and SoftBank completed communications tests in Japan after a Sceye balloon platform flew from New Mexico; trials demonstrated smartphone service, emergency alerts, drone links and edge computing. Data Center Debate: Project Jupiter faces a new air-permit challenge as concerns grow over the power and water demands of AI data centers and their impact on climate plans in New Mexico and El Paso. Science Sites: New Mexico residents fighting demolition of a solar observatory won a partial reprieve, keeping the site’s future in play. AI Skills and Policy: NMSU launched an online AI course for small businesses, while New Mexico is preparing to regulate frontier AI.