Amazon is investing in the construction of a massive natural gas power plant in Texas to power an AI data center, which would make it the largest polluter in the United States, according to infohub.kz.
According to TechCrunch and The New York Times, Amazon plans to build a large natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas, to provide autonomous power to its new artificial intelligence data center. The facility could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States.
To power the complex, 35 gas turbines with a total capacity of up to 7.65 GW are planned. According to regulatory filings, the plant's carbon dioxide emissions could reach 33 million tons per year. Amazon explained its choice of autonomous gas generation as an effort to avoid burdening the local power grid and rising tariffs for residents.
The construction has drawn criticism from environmental organizations, as in 2019 Amazon signed a climate pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. Company representatives noted that conditions have changed since then, but the overall goals remain relevant.