Hajra Naz
Amazon has a big new project in Pecos County, Texas. It’s a data center. Part of the plan includes an on-site power plant. According to The New York Times, that plant could become huge. It might be the single largest source of climate pollution in the U.S.
The plant would run on natural gas. That’s how it generates power. Its permit allows something striking. It can release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. No other U.S. power plant is permitted to emit that much.
Amazon responded with an official statement. A spokesperson confirmed the details. The data center will run on new, on-site power generation. The spokesperson made one more claim too. They said it won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families. That point matters right now. Data centers are facing real pushback nationwide. Rising electricity costs are a big reason why.
AI is already changing Amazon’s environmental footprint. The numbers show it clearly. The company’s carbon emissions rose 16% last year. That’s not a good sign. Amazon has pledged something ambitious. It wants to eliminate carbon emissions by 2040. This new plant complicates that promise.
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And the problem could grow. Amazon isn’t alone here. Other major tech companies are doing something similar. They’re backing huge new natural gas plants. The reason is simple. Data centers need more and more power. AI training and AI models are driving that demand.
Amazon’s spokesperson didn’t dodge the tension. They admitted something honestly. The world looks different now. It’s changed since Amazon first made its climate pledge. Still, they held firm on one point. They said the company’s commitment hasn’t changed.
