Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Amazon's Texas AI Data Centre Gas Plant Raises Pollution Concerns
Computers that power artificial intelligence, like chatbots, need a huge amount of electricity.
Amazon is building a big new power plant called GW Ranch in West Texas to help run one of its data centres, which are giant buildings full of computers.
The plant will burn natural gas and have 35 large turbines that together can make about 7.65 gigawatts of power.
Its permit would allow it to release up to 33 million tons of carbon dioxide, a gas that traps heat and warms the planet.
That is more than the largest coal power plant in the United States is allowed to produce.
Almost all of that electricity will go straight to Amazon's computers, not to people's homes.
Data centres also use water to keep their hot computers cool, and Amazon's data centres used about 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025.
Amazon says it still plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, but its pollution has gone up as it builds more AI tools.
Some people are worried that powering AI is hurting the environment, even as the technology grows quickly.
Amazon is developing GW Ranch, a 35-turbine natural gas plant with about 7.65 gigawatts of capacity, next to its data centre in Pecos County, West Texas.
The Texas permit authorizes GW Ranch to emit up to 33 million tons of CO2, exceeding the emissions limit of the largest coal-fired power plant in the United States.
Most of the electricity generated is expected to power Amazon's data centre directly rather than be supplied to homes and businesses via the general grid.
Amazon's global data centre operations withdrew approximately 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, though direct water consumption fell 2% compared to 2024.
Amazon says its net-zero-by-2040 climate commitment is unchanged despite rising emissions tied to AI infrastructure expansion, per spokesperson Margaret Callahan.
Google and Meta have also explored using gas and other energy sources to meet the growing power demands of their data centres.
- Who
- Amazon, with the project linked to founder Jeff Bezos' earlier net-zero pledge and defended by spokesperson Margaret Callahan; Google and Meta are also exploring similar energy solutions.
- What
- Development of GW Ranch, a natural gas plant with about 7.65 gigawatts of capacity, to help power an Amazon AI data centre despite significant pollution concerns.
- When
- No specific event date is given; the article cites Amazon's 2025 data centre water usage figures.
- Where
- Pecos County, West Texas, adjacent to an Amazon data centre.
- Why
- To secure a reliable electricity supply for AI data centres, whose rapid growth requires massive amounts of power that existing grids may not provide.
Environmental Concerns
Amazon's Position
CO2 emissions from the GW Ranch plant
Environmental Concerns
The permitted 33 million tons of CO2 is an extraordinary figure that exceeds the limit of the largest US coal plant, illustrating the severe environmental cost of powering a single AI-focused data centre.
Amazon's Position
Amazon notes the 33-million-ton figure is only a maximum permitted limit, not actual emissions, which depend on how intensely the plant operates; the company says its climate commitment remains unchanged.
Balancing AI growth with climate goals
Environmental Concerns
Amazon's emissions have risen in recent years as it expands operations and invests heavily in data centres and AI, clashing with founder Jeff Bezos' pledge of net-zero emissions by 2040.
Amazon's Position
Amazon says 'the world is different now' than when it co-founded The Climate Pledge but insists its commitment has not changed, and it highlights efficiency gains such as reduced direct water consumption and water use of 0.12 litres per kWh.
- Company
- Amazon
- Project
- GW Ranch natural gas plant
- Location
- Pecos County, West Texas
- Turbines
- 35 natural gas turbines
- Capacity
- Approximately 7.65 gigawatts
- Permitted CO2 emissions
- Up to 33 million tons
- Data centre water withdrawal (2025)
- Approximately 2.5 billion gallons
- Climate pledge
- Net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 (unchanged, per Amazon)