Site Layer 1 gas-powered data center (near Playas and Hachita)
A little-known company plans a gas-powered data center on a ranch in far southern Grant County. Residents and the state Environment Department say too little has been shared. A county moratorium was proposed.
Where things stand: A legal notice said an air permit application would be filed by Oct. 1, 2026. No county approval yet.
🕒 Latest update (Aug 27, 2026): A public notice in the Silver City Daily Press said Site Layer 1 will apply for a state air permit for a gas-powered data center.
What we know
- 📍 WhereRanch land about 4.5 miles northeast of Playas, near Hachita, in southern Grant County, Unincorporated Grant County, Grant County
- 🏢 CompanySite Layer 1 LLC (Granite Renewables)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromIts own natural gas power plant, near the El Paso Natural Gas pipeline.
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Has the air permit application been filed with the Environment Department? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water would it use, and from where? 🙋 I'll find out
- Who would use the data center? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Aug 27, 2026A public notice in the Silver City Daily Press said Site Layer 1 will apply for a state air permit for a gas-powered data center.
Local votes and rules
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
County commissioners approved a notice that they will consider a one-year pause on data centers, modeled on Socorro County's. One commissioner voted no, citing property rights. The pause itself was set to be weighed at the Oct. 8, 2026 meeting. It follows the Site Layer 1 plan near Hachita and Playas.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Grant County residents raise alarm over secretive proposed data center · Searchlight New Mexico · Sept 9, 2026
- In Silver City, rapid community response to local data center proposal · Albuquerque Journal · Sept 2026
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