Planned Amazon data center could become the biggest climate polluter in the U.S.

A planned data center in Texas would be powered by an on-site natural gas power plant permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, making it potentially the largest source of climate pollution in the United States. This matters because the company reported that its carbon emissions increased 16% last year, moving in the wrong direction from its pledge to eliminate carbon emissions by 2040. Tech companies are increasingly backing the development of large natural gas plants to power their energy-intensive data centers, which could worsen overall emissions. The company stated that the world has changed since founding its climate pledge while maintaining that its commitment remains unchanged.