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Part of Project Jupiter Watch — the public record of the $165B data-center deal in Doña Ana County, NM. New here? Start with the Film →

The Web / Who's Who / James Kenney

Dossier · Who's Who

James Kenney

Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Environment Department (appointed Jan 2019, reappointed 2023); previously 21+ years at U.S. EPA including enforcement/investigations roles
verification: confirmed

The cabinet secretary whose agency decides Project Jupiter's air permit — and who, per internal emails, directed his staff to write Apaluma, his former cabinet colleague's AI company, into NMED contracts without a bid. He starred in the company's promo video ('I'm already having, like, an affection towards Luma… like lightning in a bottle') — a video that later vanished. The DOJ's fraud investigation into the permit's comment file landed on his desk in July 2026.

Married to
Husband (name not given in verified sources) — identified in Kenney's official NMED bio as the U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico

Relationships · 2

In the timeline · 1

Jul 29, 2026Two days later, the hearing moves five weeks earlier

Dated entries in the record that involve this party. Appearing here is not an allegation — it means the graph draws an edge from this dossier to that event.

In the Watch · 4

eventApaluma awarded ~$1.4M no-bid NMED contracts
eventElevate NM pro-permit ad campaign (Jan 29–Mar 2 2026)
eventOracle NMED permit-support letter, signed Pitcock (Mar 2026)
eventThe Apaluma promo video — Kenney stars, then it vanishes

Sources · 5

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The decision was due July 21. Instead: a public hearing — first set for October, then moved up to September 14 at the applicant’s request — and a ruling due by November 23. A $165B question for one desert county, on a schedule that keeps moving. The clock above always shows the next date that matters. Until the ruling, and after, this is the public watch on how it’s being made.