A Colorado company called Atterix wants to build a massive data center in Raton, New Mexico — a small town of about 6,000 people.

The plan would start by converting an abandoned Kmart on the south side of town, then expand to a nearby power station and the city airport over the next five years. At full build-out, the project could consume up to 50 megawatts of electricity — enough to power more than 30,000 homes.

Raton residents are pushing back. A community group called Protect Our Resources, with more than 100 members, has raised serious concerns about what this project would mean for their town: skyrocketing electricity and water use, constant low-frequency noise that makes nearby homes unlivable, and bright industrial lighting in the middle of residential areas. In other communities where data centers have been built, residents report that the hum never stops.

The Raton City Commission approved a six-month feasibility study in February. That study wraps up in early August — and commissioners have so far refused to vote on even a temporary pause on the project. Meanwhile, residents are being asked to wait and see.

Raton doesn't need to learn this lesson the hard way. Other towns have. Sign this petition to tell the Raton City Commission and City Manager Neil Segotta: stop the Atterix data center before it's too late. Raton's resources, its quiet, and its future belong to the people who live here — not to a corporation from out of state.