Amazon is investing in a natural gas-fired power plant in Pecos County, Texas, intended to supply energy to a large new data center. If completed as planned, the facility could become the largest single source of climate emissions in the United States, exceeding current record holders in permitted annual greenhouse gas output, the company confirmed on Friday.
The power plant is planned to include 35 natural gas turbines capable of generating up to 7.65 gigawatts of electricity. Signed permits allow the facility to release up to 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, roughly double the emissions permitted at the coal-burning James H. Miller Jr. Power Plant in Alabama, which currently holds the record for the highest emissions from a single U.S. power station. While actual emissions typically fall below permitted levels, the plant’s scale has raised concerns among environmental groups and climate advocates.
Amazon’s spokesperson, Margaret Callahan, highlighted that the facility would initially operate off the wider Texas power grid, stating this setup would not impact electricity costs for local residents. She also noted the company is exploring investments in solar energy and battery storage at the data center, which is expected to generate thousands of jobs in the region. Amazon did not disclose the financial details of its acquisition of the Pecos County site, which is currently under development by an outside firm.
The project underscores the challenges facing large technology companies like Amazon in meeting ambitious climate goals. Amazon co-founded the Climate Pledge, a voluntary agreement to become carbon neutral by 2040, but its greenhouse gas emissions have grown steadily in recent years. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence services, which require substantial computational capacity, has driven steep increases in data-center energy consumption. To avoid delays in obtaining grid connections, some data-center operators are opting to build dedicated on-site power plants, often fueled by natural gas because of their relatively quick construction timeline compared with renewable alternatives.
Environmental advocates expressed concerns about the potential local and global impacts of the new facility. Kathryn Guerra, a campaign director at the corporate watchdog group Public Citizen, warned that the plant’s emissions would have significant consequences for air quality and public health, contributing to smog and respiratory illnesses.
The growth of data centers has strained electricity grids nationwide, prompting both private companies and federal agencies to seek faster approvals for energy infrastructure projects. During his presidency, Donald Trump issued executive orders intended to facilitate data center construction and promoted increased fossil fuel production under an “energy dominance” agenda, which has influenced regulatory approaches to such developments.
Amazon’s involvement in the Pecos County power plant signals a shift from relying on traditional utility electricity—typically a blend of fossil fuel and renewable sources—to owning direct energy production for its expanding data infrastructure. Industry analysts suggest the project could foreshadow similar large-scale, gas-fueled energy investments by other technology companies as artificial intelligence demand continues to surge.