New Mexico Supreme Court pauses Project Jupiter water well drilling, air permit proceeding

The New Mexico Supreme Court paused the air quality permit process for Project Jupiter, a data center project by Oracle and OpenAI. The project has faced protests due to its estimated high greenhouse gas emissions. The New Mexico Environment Department had accelerated the hearing date after meetings with Oracle and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. The court's decision followed a rally against the project and a request by advocacy group New Energy Economy.

Oracle launched Exadata Database Service on AWS, offering high-performance databases with flexible compute and storage. Experts note cost trade-offs, with higher compute and storage expenses compared to traditional AWS services. Licensing metrics differ, potentially benefiting some users. Oracle and AWS have a strategic collaboration to aid migrations. Critics warn of Oracle's FUD tactics and higher costs.

Oracle (ORCL) and Bloom Energy (BE) shares fell on Monday after New Mexico rejected a natural gas pipeline application for Oracle's Project Jupiter data center. The pipeline is crucial for Bloom Energy's 2.5 GW fuel cell contract. ORCL dropped 3.5% and BE fell 7%. Analysts cited delays and potential cost increases, with CLSA and TD Cowen maintaining 'Hold' ratings on ORCL.

Oracle's stock rose 3.1% on August 22, 2026, after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expanded its contract with Oracle Health by $17 billion, increasing the total value to $27 billion. The contract includes options extending through 2031, providing Oracle with significant revenue visibility. However, Oracle faces financial strain from its AI infrastructure spending, with FY2026 capex at $55.7 billion and negative free cash flow of $23.7 billion, leading to a credit rating downgrade. Oracle

The US Department of Homeland Security awarded Oracle a five-year cloud contract worth up to $567.9 million. This is the second of four planned hyperscaler deals under the Cumulus program, which aims to consolidate cloud procurement. Oracle's contract covers infrastructure, platform, and software services, with a one-year base period and up to four option years. Amazon Web Services received the first award in June, eligible for up to $2.5 billion. Google Cloud and Microsoft awards are still pend

Oracle's contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs for electronic health records expanded by $17 billion, reaching a total of $27 billion. The increase allows for more flexibility in awarding contracts as the rollout continues. Only 14 of 164 medical centers are currently using the system. Mizuho reiterated its Outperform rating and $320 price target, citing potential SaaS growth. The deal includes three additional one-year options extending to May 2031.