Amazon's 7.65GW Texas gas plant could become largest US power plant CO2 source, report finds

firstpost.com

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

Amazon is planning a 7.65GW natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas, to power a new data center. According to project permits, the plant would use 35 gas turbines and be authorized to release 33 million tons of CO2 annually. That would make it the largest source of power plant emissions in the United States, according to a New York Times report. The move highlights the growing tension between Amazon's rapid AI expansion and its 2040 net-zero pledge. The company has seen emissions rise for several years as data center demand grows. While Amazon says it remains committed to its climate goals, the gas plant would directly contradict them. Natural gas is being chosen because it can be deployed quickly and scaled easily, but it comes with significant carbon costs. The report also notes that electricity prices have surged in the largest US region, partly due to data center demand.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Amazon's 7.65GW gas plant in Texas would emit 33 million tons of CO2 a year, making it the biggest single source in the US. That directly undercuts their 2040 net-zero pledge. The AI boom is driving this, and it's a real problem for anyone tracking corporate climate commitments.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

A 7.65GW gas plant with 35 turbines is massive. That's a lot of capacity for one data center site. I wonder what the interconnection queue looks like and whether they'll actually run it at full capacity. Also, 33 million tons of CO2 is an estimate, but the real number depends on load factor.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions the Trump administration backing fossil fuels for data centers. That's a policy shift. But Amazon's own Climate Pledge is voluntary. If they keep building gas plants, their net-zero target is just marketing. There's no carbon price forcing them to change.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

This is a big deal. 33 million tons of CO2 from one plant is huge. It's like adding a small country's emissions. Amazon needs to be honest about the tradeoffs between AI growth and climate goals.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

I get that natural gas is quick to deploy, but they could pair it with renewables and storage. The fact that they're going all gas suggests they're prioritizing speed over sustainability. That's a choice.