An Amazon data center could have the worst polluting power plant in the country
An Amazon-owned site in Pecos County, Texas, received a permit to release up to 33 million tons of CO2.
by Terrence O'Brien
Aug 8, 2026, 5:53 PM UTC
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.
To power its new West Texas data center, Amazon is investing in the construction of a new power plant that could be one of the largest single producers of greenhouse gases in the US, according to the New York Times. The new gas-burning plant in Pecos County, Texas has received significant investment from Amazon and, at least initially, would not be connected to the state’s power grid. Instead, its 35 natural-gas turbines would primarily deliver its 7.65 gigawatts of electricity to the new data center.
According to Cleanview,...
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