Amazon’s AI expansion could create America’s biggest power polluter

Amazon is investing in a natural gas power plant in West Texas designed to supply a planned artificial intelligence data center. The project could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States if it operates at the limits set by its permits.

Permits reviewed by Cleanview show that the facility in Pecos County could use 35 gas turbines and generate up to 7.65 gigawatts of electricity. According to reporting by Hiroko Tabuchi for The New York Times, the plant would be allowed to emit about 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. That is more than twice the annual emissions of the James H. Miller Jr. coal plant in Alabama, currently one of the country’s largest emitting power stations.

Amazon says the site will initially operate separately from Texas’s electricity grid. The company argues that this approach avoids adding costs for households and could later support the local grid once a connection becomes available. It also says it is considering solar power and battery storage for the development.

The plan highlights the growing tension between fast AI infrastructure expansion and corporate climate targets. Amazon has pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040, but its emissions have risen in recent years. The company says its commitment remains unchanged.

Why data centers are building their own power

Large AI data centers need continuous electricity, while grid connections can take years. Developers are therefore increasingly building power plants directly at data center sites, often near gas-producing regions and under faster state permitting systems.

Ars Technica reports that Cleanview has identified 59 planned behind-the-meter data center projects with roughly 90 gigawatts of capacity. Environmental groups warn that gas plants also release air pollutants linked to asthma, heart disease and other health risks. They say fast approvals can limit public scrutiny of those effects.

Sources

• Amazon backs power plant that may become top source of US climate pollution – Ars Technica
• Amazon is backing a 7.65 GW gas plant for an off-grid TX AI data center, potentially the largest single US emissions source, at odds with its 2040 net-zero goal – The New York Times