Project Jupiter and the promise of regenerative growth

At Mycelia Foundation, we believe in regenerative development: the idea that growth should restore and strengthen the land, the people, and the local economy. It starts with listening: to the environment, to the community, and to the long-term needs of the region.

Project Jupiter is a bold and promising investment in Southern New Mexico's future. Its focus on infrastructure, innovation, and job creation is exciting. Its early engagement with local communities is encouraging. I recently attended a public meeting at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum on the project and learned more about the campus design. The commitment to closed-loop water systems and onsite energy generation shows that this project is responding to the realities of our climate and the wisdom of our region.

As a Las Cruces-based nonprofit, Mycelia Foundation has spent the past three years building digital opportunity infrastructure across Southern New Mexico. Through a state grant, we're currently deploying free internet access to 650 underserved student households in Luna and Doña Ana Counties. We've also developed AI training programs and personalized bilingual learning tools to help community members build skills for the future.

These efforts reflect the same values at the heart of Project Jupiter: innovation, equity, and long-term community investment. Done right, this project can be a model for inclusive, regenerative development that reflects the strengths of Southern New Mexico and delivers lasting benefits for generations to come.

I'm confident our leaders will ensure this becomes not just a project in New Mexico, but one for New Mexico.

Aaron Casillas, executive director, Mycelia Foundation

Las Cruces, NM