Amazon Quietly Seeks 7.65 GW Gas Plant in Texas — Could Become the Largest Single Pollution Source in the U.S.

Amazon is moving forward with plans for a massive gas-fired power plant to support a new AI data center in Pecos County, Texas. According to reporting by The Distilled newsletter, the company has purchased land and secured state permits for a 7.65 gigawatt (GW) gas facility at a site known as GW Ranch.

Permits, Emissions And Off-Grid Operation

State permits for GW Ranch would allow the proposed plant to emit up to 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually — a level that, if realized, would make it the single largest permitted pollution source in the United States and exceed emissions from the nation’s largest coal plant, The Distilled reported. The permit indicates the plant would initially operate off-grid, separate from Texas’ main power system.

Construction, Water Use And Amazon's Statement

Amazon has filed three construction permits to build three data center buildings as soon as approvals are granted, and satellite imagery shows land clearing has already begun. The company says GW Ranch would rely on brackish groundwater that is not potable and therefore unsuitable for drinking or irrigation. Amazon also points to roughly 10 GW of carbon-free energy across about 40 projects it says help power its existing Texas data centers.

Local Concerns And Broader Implications

Despite Amazon’s assurances, the project is likely to face significant local and national scrutiny. Data centers often draw opposition in rural and suburban communities across party lines: critics say they generate relatively few local jobs, provide limited economic benefit, can raise utility rates if tied to local grids, and may increase the risk of brownouts or blackouts. In the context of climate change and recurring droughts, claims about using nonpotable water are likely to be questioned by residents and environmental groups.

What’s at stake: If built as permitted, GW Ranch would represent a major expansion of fossil-fuel infrastructure tied directly to large-scale AI computing, raising urgent questions about emissions, local impacts and corporate climate commitments.

With rural West Texas being politically conservative, opposition may come from unexpected quarters; concerns about water, pollution and local economic trade-offs have united critics from across the political spectrum in other data center disputes. Now that the permits and land purchases are public, local activism and political scrutiny are likely to intensify.