Amazon's Texas data center plant permitted to emit 33 million tons of CO2
Amazon is powering a new data center in West Texas with a purpose-built gas plant that could be one of the largest single producers of greenhouse gases in the US, The New York Times reported. The plant, called GW Ranch, sits in Pecos County and, according to data tracker Cleanview, holds a Texas permit allowing emission of up to 33 million tons of CO2, more than even the largest coal plant in the country. Amazon has confirmed it purchased the GW Ranch site and plans to buy power from it. The facility runs 35 natural-gas turbines that would primarily deliver its 7.65 gigawatts of electricity to the new data center, and at least initially the plant would not be connected to Texas's power grid. Plants rarely emit as much as their permits allow, but the source notes it is still notable how lax the restrictions are. The story places GW Ranch in a broader pattern: Meta and Google have also started building their own power plants, turning to gas, coal and other nonrenewable sources as AI data center demand has surged, while the Trump administration has sought to lift restrictions on such polluting plants. Even a partial emissions figure would still cut against Amazon's Climate Pledge, under which Jeff Bezos committed the company to carbon neutrality by 2040; Amazon's emissions have instead climbed for several years running because of AI demand. Amazon spokeswoman Margaret Callahan told the Times, "The world looks different now than when we co-founded the climate pledge," but added, "our commitment hasn't changed." In an August 9th update, Callahan gave The Verge a fuller company statement: Amazon says it believes in paying the full costs of powering its operations, that the Pecos County campus is powered by new on-site generation that will not raise electricity costs for Texas families, and that it is designed to transition to grid-connected service as interconnection timelines allow. Amazon also says it is exploring solar power and battery storage on site, plans to use water unsuitable for drinking or irrigation along with custom cooling technology to limit water use, and is looking at reusing produced water as a non-potable source. The company describes the campus as a long-term commitment expected to create thousands of jobs.
Key facts
- Texas issued the GW Ranch gas plant in Pecos County a permit allowing up to 33 million tons of CO2, more than the largest US coal plant, according to Cleanview.
- Amazon confirmed it bought the GW Ranch site and plans to purchase its power; the plant's 35 natural-gas turbines are meant to primarily supply its 7.65 gigawatts to Amazon's new data center, at least initially without a grid connection.
- Meta and Google are also building their own gas and coal power plants as AI data center demand rises, amid the Trump administration's push to loosen restrictions on such plants.
- The plant undercuts Jeff Bezos's Climate Pledge to make Amazon carbon neutral by 2040; the company's emissions have climbed for several years running due to AI demand.
- Amazon spokeswoman Margaret Callahan said the company's climate commitment 'hasn't changed' and, in an August 9th statement, said the site is designed to transition to grid power and will explore solar and battery storage.
Why it matters
AI data centers need power faster than utilities or renewable buildouts can supply it, and Amazon's answer in Pecos County is a dedicated gas plant sized to a single customer. A Texas permit allowing up to 33 million tons of CO2, more than the country's largest coal plant, shows how far that tradeoff can run when a plant is built to serve one data center rather than the grid.
Who it affects
Amazon, which bought the GW Ranch site and will buy its power; Texas, whose permitting allowed emissions at this scale; and Amazon's Climate Pledge commitments, which Jeff Bezos set at carbon neutral by 2040. The story also names Meta and Google as companies building their own gas, coal and other nonrenewable power plants to meet AI data center demand, and notes the Trump administration has sought to lift restrictions on such plants.
How to use it
The piece carries no product, price or license to act on; it documents a corporate energy decision and its environmental permit.
How solid is it
The reporting traces to The New York Times, with emissions-permit figures attributed to Cleanview, a tracker of data centers and their power projects. Amazon confirmed the purchase and plans to buy GW Ranch's power, and its spokeswoman Margaret Callahan is quoted directly both in the original Times report and in a follow-up statement given to The Verge on August 9th. The 33 million ton figure is the maximum allowed under the permit, not a measured or reported actual emissions total, and the source itself notes plants rarely emit as much as they're permitted to.
Risks and caveats
The 33 million ton figure is a permitted ceiling, not an observed emissions number, so actual output could be far lower. No current emissions data for GW Ranch, no timeline for when it starts operating or connects to the grid, and no purchase price for Amazon's stake are given. The source also does not name who else 'co-founded' the climate pledge Callahan referenced, or give a specific emissions figure for the coal plant used as the comparison.
“The world looks different now than when we co-founded the climate pledge, but our commitment hasn't changed.”
— Margaret Callahan, Amazon spokeswoman