Oracle Urges U.S. Approval of 28.6-Kilometer Natural Gas Pipeline to Power Large Data Center

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 13, Oracle again sent a letter to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), requesting accelerated approval of the Green Chile natural gas pipeline project in New Mexico. The pipeline has a total length of approximately 28.6 kilometers and a designed daily transmission capacity of approximately 400 million cubic feet, and is planned to supply natural gas to the independent power supply system of the large Project Jupiter data center. The project's proposed in-service date has been postponed from August 15, 2026 to February 2027.

In a letter submitted on October 13, Josh Pitcock, Oracle's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, said that delays in approval of the Green Chile project could affect the operational schedule of Project Jupiter, as well as related construction jobs and economic activity. The pipeline applicant is Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer. The project is located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and is planned to use 24-inch diameter pipeline, along with natural gas receiving, metering, and pressure regulating facilities.

The Green Chile project is planned to connect to the existing El Paso Natural Gas transmission system and deliver natural gas to the energy facilities supporting Project Jupiter. The data center's power supply plan includes a fuel cell system provided by Bloom Energy, generating electricity on site using natural gas. The related energy facilities are matched with the data center construction, and the pipeline's transmission capacity is configured according to the campus's gas demand.

Transwestern submitted its project application to FERC on January 29, 2026. FERC issued an environmental assessment document on September 4, with a review scope covering the pipeline route, metering facilities, and land, water resources, cultural resources, and ecological and environmental issues that may be involved in construction. The federal Bureau of Land Management has approved crossing arrangements involving approximately 16 miles of federal land, but the project previously adjusted its route due to a land use dispute in New Mexico, affecting the originally scheduled construction time.

During the public comment period for the environmental assessment, some environmental organizations and the New Mexico Attorney General's Office requested expanded review of the environmental impacts of the pipeline and the energy facilities supporting the data center. FERC's environmental assessment comment period ended on October 5; as of October 13, the Green Chile pipeline had still not obtained federal construction authorization, and the project approval docket number is CP26-80-000.