{
  "id": 316649,
  "title": "Amazon is backing a 7.65 GW gas plant for an off-grid TX AI data center, potentially the largest single US emissions source, at odds with its 2040 net-zero goal (Hiroko Tabuchi/New York Times)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/amazon-is-backing-a-7-65-gw-gas-plant-for-an-off-grid-tx-ai-data",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-08T15:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Techmeme",
    "slug": "techmeme",
    "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/climate/amazon-data-center-texas-pollution.html?unlocked_article_code=1.31A.xzDh.F4qu7Zcw39Dj"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Amazon is investing in a 7.65 GW natural-gas-burning power plant for an off-grid data center in Texas. According to the New York Times, this project may become the largest single source of emissions in the US. The data center is part of Amazon's expansion, despite its pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.\n\nThe investment in the gas plant seems at odds with Amazon's climate commitments. The company is backing the plant as part of a huge data center in Texas.\n\nIn a separate development, Amazon has started constructing a data center in Gilroy, California, on a 56-acre piece of farmland. The project adhered to local zoning rules set 45 years ago, avoiding scrutiny. The city and Amazon had disagreements during the permitting process, with the company reportedly frustrated by slow progress and the city pushing back on some requests.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "Internal Amazon documents reveal a major overhaul of one of the world's biggest AI data centers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/internal-amazon-documents-reveal-a-major-overhaul-of-one-of-the",
        "published": "2026-08-06T09:00:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Tom's Hardware",
        "title": "Amazon secretly circumvents community vote for massive AI data center using 45-year-old rules — Gilroy residents locked out of public comment window",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/amazon-secretly-circumvents-community-vote-for-massive-ai-data-center",
        "published": "2026-08-08T13:51:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SiliconANGLE",
        "title": "Amazon is building a new AI data center in Texas that could become the country’s largest source of carbon emissions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/amazon-is-building-a-new-ai-data-center-in-texas-that-could-become",
        "published": "2026-08-09T23:43:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}