Amazon data center plant in Texas could become America’s biggest polluter

Amazon is planning a large data center campus in Pecos County, Texas, which will be powered by an on-site natural gas plant. According to documents obtained by The New York Times and Distilled, the plant is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. If built to these specifications, it would reportedly become the largest single source of climate pollution in the country, surpassing Alabama's James H. Miller Jr. Power Plant.

Amazon confirmed its investment in the on-site generation, stating it allows the company to cover the full costs of powering its operations without raising electricity rates for Texas residents. The company also noted it is exploring solar energy and battery storage opportunities for the site and expects the project to create "thousands of new jobs." This move marks Amazon's first major investment in off-grid power for a data center, aligning it with other hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, which have also invested in fossil fuel sources to meet the high demand for AI-driven data centers.

The project highlights ongoing criticism regarding Amazon's climate commitments, as its emissions have continued to rise since its 2019 pledge. Data centers globally are facing backlash over their environmental impact, including emissions, water use, and strain on electricity grids. In a related development, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a pause on new data center projects across the state until electricity regulators can complete an audit of each proposed facility, citing that data centers account for approximately 90% of new power requests on the Texas grid.