Thousands of Comments Shared with Governor Katie Hobbs Passionately Oppose Desert Southwest Gas Pipeline

A proposed gas pipeline in the Southwest is facing organized opposition. The Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter has shared roughly 2,000 public comments with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs opposing the Desert Southwest Pipeline, a project that would carry methane gas from the Permian Basin to power data centers across Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. The comments were originally submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the federal agency that reviews interstate pipeline projects.

Opponents point to strain on scarce desert water supplies and a long-term commitment to gas power at a time when cleaner options exist. They also flag one specific project the pipeline would enable in southern New Mexico, a data center operation that would reportedly emit as much greenhouse gas as the state's three largest cities combined and use as much electricity as the entire grid of the state's biggest utility, potentially erasing New Mexico's 29 percent cut in emissions since 2005. Governor Hobbs announced her support for the pipeline in May, a stance critics say conflicts with concerns about gas raised in her own state energy task force report.

This is a regional infrastructure fight rather than a program homeowners can sign up for or opt out of. It does not change any rebate, incentive, or upgrade option available to your household. But if you live in Arizona, Texas, or New Mexico, the outcome could affect future electricity rates and gas supply in your area, since pipelines like this typically feed new gas-fired power plants serving the regional grid.