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Amazon is planning a data center in Pecos County, Texas, that would be powered by an on-site natural gas power plant. According to The New York Times, the facility could become the largest source of climate pollution in the United States.
The plant is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year — more than any other power plant in the U.S., the NYT reported.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the data center will "be powered by new on-site generation that won't raise electricity costs for Texas families." Data centers have faced growing political opposition, in part because of their effect on electricity costs.
AI has already had a significant impact on Amazon's carbon emissions, which the company reported rose 16% last year. That is the wrong direction for a company that pledged to eliminate its carbon emissions by 2040. The trend could worsen as Amazon and other tech companies back the development of huge natural gas plants to power their data centers.
The spokesperson added: "The world looks different now than when we co-founded the climate pledge," while also insisting, "Our commitment hasn't changed."
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