Amazon's 7.65GW Texas gas plant for AI data center could become largest US CO2 polluter

Published Aug 9, 12:40 PM UTC

According to a New York Times report, Amazon is building a massive 7.65-gigawatt natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas, to power a new AI data center on the same site. The plant, using 35 natural gas turbines, has permits to emit up to 33 million tons of CO2 annually, which would make it the largest source of planet-warming pollution among US power plants. This development contradicts Amazon's 2019 pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, a commitment the company co-founded as The Climate Pledge. Amazon's emissions have risen in recent years due to the AI boom driving data center expansion. While Amazon insists it remains committed to its climate goals, the project reflects a broader industry trend of hyperscalers moving to dedicated on-site power generation, often using natural gas for its scalability and speed, despite parallel investments in nuclear and renewable energy.