An Amazon data center could have the worst polluting power plant in the country

Amazon is building a new natural gas power plant in Texas to power a data center, and the plant received a permit allowing it to emit up to 33 million tons of CO2 annually, which exceeds emissions from the largest coal plant in the country. Many tech companies including Meta and Google have begun constructing their own power plants burning gas and coal as artificial intelligence data centers demand more electricity. This development conflicts with Amazon's Climate Pledge commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2040, as the company's emissions have risen for several years due to AI demands. The Trump administration has worked to lift restrictions on polluting power plants during a period when data center construction is accelerating across the industry.