Key facts
- Amazon will finance a new natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas.
- The facility is intended to power the company's data centers.
- The plant is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
- This investment is driven by the increasing energy demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Amazon is set to finance the construction of a new natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas, to provide electricity for its expanding data center operations. The facility, intended to support the significant energy requirements of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, potentially making it the largest source of climate pollution in the United States. This move comes as Amazon's carbon emissions rose 16% last year, despite its 2040 net-zero pledge.