Oracle Doubles New Mexico AI Data Center Job Forecast to 1,500 Permanent Positions
Oracle just doubled down on its AI ambitions—and New Mexico is cashing the check. The tech giant's revised forecast for its upcoming AI data center now promises a staggering 1,500 permanent jobs, a figure that's turning heads far beyond the desert.
The Big Bet on AI Infrastructure
This isn't just about server racks and cooling systems. Oracle's move signals a massive infrastructure push into the AI arms race, betting that the real value isn't just in the algorithms, but in the physical compute power needed to run them. The scale of this hiring spree suggests they're building for a future where demand for AI processing is anything but virtual.
Why New Mexico Wins
Forget Silicon Valley. Regions with available land, competitive energy costs, and incentive packages are becoming the new frontier for tech's physical expansion. This project positions New Mexico as a serious player in the national data center landscape, potentially attracting a whole ecosystem of related tech and service companies.
The Fine Print on 'Permanent'
In tech, 'permanent' can be a relative term—often tied to the lifespan of a specific technology cycle or the whims of quarterly earnings reports. While the local economic boost is undeniable, the long-term stability of these roles will depend on Oracle's ability to monetize its AI investments before the next market pivot.
A 1,500-person payroll is a powerful stimulus, but in the high-stakes game of AI, today's data center can become tomorrow's expensive relic. Let's see if the jobs last as long as the hype.
Company addresses environmental concerns
Oracle tried to ease the concerns. The data center will use about as much water as an office building, the company said, because the liquid cooling the servers gets reused over and over.
It’ll run entirely on gas generators sitting on the property instead of tapping into the public power grid, which Oracle says means “no impact to rate payers.” The company also plans to pay hundreds of millions to the county for schools and water systems.
The new mexico project isn’t happening in isolation
Last September, OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank announced five new AI data center sites around the country, including this one. Put together, they’re supposed to have nearly 7 gigawatts of capacity and represent over $400 billion in investment.
Another site near Milwaukee is being developed by OpenAI, Oracle, and Vantage. That one’s a nearly 1-gigawatt campus with four buildings expected to bring more than 4,000 construction jobs and over 1,000 permanent positions.
Microsoft’s been busy too, linking data centers in Wisconsin and Atlanta with fiber-optic cables. The company calls it an “AI Superfactory”, basically a networked system for training AI models.
Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.
