Amazon's new Texas data center could become the single largest polluter in the US
In a statement to The New York Times, an Amazon spokesperson said the data center will be powered entirely by an on-site power plant, ensuring it won't raise electricity costs for local residents. The plant is expected to run on natural gas, with 35 turbines combining to generate up to... Read Entire Article
Amazon plans to build a massive new data center in Pecos County, Texas, which could potentially become the single-largest polluter in the United States, according to recent reports. The facility's on-site power plant, to be entirely powered by natural gas, will generate up to 7.65 gigawatts of electricity using 35 turbines. This would make the power plant the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, emitting up to 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
While this output would surpass the total emissions of several countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, and Bulgaria, Amazon maintains that local residents won't see increased electricity costs as the facility will draw power directly from the plant. Amazon has not backed away from its 2040 net-zero carbon emissions goal, despite recent sharp increases in its emissions tied to purchased electricity.
The Texas plant is built in accordance with the 'Ratepayer Protection Pledge,' a commitment by several tech companies to power their own AI data centers.
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