Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced an agreement between Fujitsu, a Japanese technology company, and New Mexico State University (NMSU) to establish an innovation hub at NMSU in the coming year. The announcement was made during a trade summit attended by Shigeo Yamada, Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, and other officials.
The governor also highlighted Japan as a potential market for natural gas produced in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin. However, no specific agreements or timelines have been established regarding natural gas exports to Japan.
The summit coincided with the release of a regional report from the Western States and Tribal Nations Energy Initiative. The report, funded partly by New Mexico, outlines two possible routes for transporting natural gas from the Rocky Mountain region to the West Coast for shipment to Asian markets: one through Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and another through Washington state.
New Mexico ranked third among U.S. states in natural gas production in 2024, accounting for about 8% of total national withdrawals according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The state is also the third-largest energy producer overall in the country but has experienced periods of excess supply that outpace demand.
Governor Lujan Grisham noted that expanding pipeline infrastructure may be necessary if an export agreement with Japan is reached: “As demand grows, we would need to do more infrastructure investment,” she said. She added that current capacity would allow New Mexico to begin such an agreement if needed.
Ambassador Yamada stated that Japan has committed $7 billion annually toward American energy purchases but is still evaluating options: “This is a very good detailed introduction of the potential Rocky Mountain gas and we will seriously look into it,” he said.
Regarding the innovation hub at NMSU, university President Valerio Ferme and a senior Fujitsu official signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a four-year plan for developing a national research testbed. Under this agreement, NMSU will provide facilities and collaborate with national laboratories while Fujitsu supplies technical hardware and services. No state financial incentives are currently included in this partnership; however, Governor Lujan Grisham indicated future investments could be considered depending on its progress.
