Amazon data center in Texas could become top U.S. climate polluter

Amazon is investing in an on-site power plant as part of a planned data center in Pecos County, Texas — a plant that could become the largest source of climate pollution in the United States, according to The New York Times. The NYT reports the plant would burn natural gas and is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, more than any other power plant in the U.S.

In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said the data center will “be powered by new on-site generation that won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families.” Data centers have faced growing political opposition for a number of reasons, including their effect on local electricity costs.

AI has already had a significant impact on Amazon’s own carbon emissions, which the company reported were up 16% last year — the wrong direction for a company that has pledged to eliminate its carbon emissions by 2040. That trend could worsen as Amazon and other tech companies back the development of large natural gas plants to power their energy-hungry data centers. An Amazon spokesperson acknowledged that circumstances have shifted since the company co-founded its climate pledge, while maintaining that its commitment hasn’t changed.

Why it matters

The Pecos County plant is a concrete example of the trade-off AI infrastructure buildouts are forcing on companies with climate pledges: meeting the power demand of data centers is pushing some of the same companies further from the emissions targets they set for themselves.