Industrial expansion in northeast El Paso took a new turn this week. The company Jobe Materials, owned by local businessman Stanley Jobe and dedicated to the production of concrete, obtained the winning bid to acquire 592 acres (239.5 hectares) of vacant land belonging to El Paso Water, surpassing the proposal presented by El Paso Electric in an operation valued at 8.15 million dollars.

On June 10, the El Paso Water Public Services Board approved the sale of the properties, located on Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue, west of the enormous data center complex that the technology company Meta Platforms is currently building in the area. However, the transaction still requires final approval from the El Paso City Council.

Jobe Materials’ victory represents more than just a land purchase. The agreement incorporates specific restrictions that prevent the development of data centers with high energy demand or industries with high water consumption, a clause that reflects the growing public debate on the resources demanded by large technological facilities in a region marked by water scarcity.

According to Alejandro Vidales, land and water rights manager of the public company, Jobe Materials intends to use the property to expand its extractive operations through a sand and gravel quarry. The company already operates a similar facility on adjacent land to the west of the property for sale.

Jobe’s offer far exceeded the $6.8 million offered by El Paso Electric, a company that plans to build a generating plant near the Meta complex to meet the increase in electrical demand associated with the data center. The power company also owns 36 acres (14.6 hectares) nearby.

The restrictions included in the contract also exclude the installation of industrial-scale solar plants and battery energy storage systems, technologies that are part of El Paso Electric’s operating strategy in New Mexico.

During the approval session, El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson, who is part of the board of directors of El Paso Water, reiterated that the land cannot be used for the construction of data centers, a statement that seems to respond to growing citizen concern about the presence of Meta in the city.

In recent months, neighborhood organizations and environmental groups have intensified their criticism of the agreements reached between the city and the technology company. The questions center on the multimillion-dollar tax incentives granted to Meta and the water supply guarantees approved for the complex.

During the meeting, environmental lawyer Verónica Carbajal, member of the Sowing Hope Coalition, once again demanded a review of the water supply contract signed with Meta. The activist questioned whether the company maintains potential access to up to 1.5 million gallons per day (5.7 million liters) when it recently assured that its facilities will use “zero water” for most of the year.

The statement refers to a letter sent by Meta on June 9 to local authorities, in which the company stated that the resort will consume less water annually than a typical golf course in the southwestern United States. However, the company did not specify how many gallons it will use each year.

Neither El Paso Water representatives nor board members responded publicly to Carbajal’s request.

Beyond the controversy, the sale represents a significant financial injection for El Paso Water. Most of the profits obtained will go to the Restricted Land Sale Reserve Fund, used to finance future water supply projects. Five percent of the profits will be transferred to the municipal government.

That fund had approximately 4.5 million dollars before the operation was completed. Two years ago, in March 2024, it maintained a balance close to 26 million dollars, resources that have been reduced due to investments in water infrastructure.

The decision illustrates the tensions running through El Paso’s economic development: attracting industrial and technological investment while preserving such strategic resources as water and energy in one of the driest regions in North America.