Story perspectives

Amazon backs 7.65-GW Texas gas plant, 33 Mt CO2 emissions

8/11/2026

Summary

Amazon Builds Gasplant

Amazon will finance and build the 7.65-GW GW Ranch gas plant in Texas.
Plant can emit up to 33 million tons CO2 annually, double the 16 million tons from an Alabama coal plant.
Construction began in July 2026, with power slated to start off-grid in Q1 2027.
Pacifico Energy will add up to 750 MW solar and 1.8 GW battery storage, mitigating emissions.
Amazon says the off-grid plant will keep Texas household electricity costs unchanged.

Summary

Trump Backs Plant

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has backed on-site fossil-fuel power for data centers, favoring oil, gas and coal.
Pecos County residents say the plant will raise electricity costs and increase smog-related health risks.
Investors are treating energy permits and carbon caps as material risks for AI-driven tech companies.
Environmental groups label the project the possible largest single U.S. source of climate pollution, intensifying opposition.

History

Historical Context

In the 1990s Texas deregulated its electricity market, eliminating reserve margins and leaving the ERCOT grid vulnerable. The 2021 winter storm exposed that weakness when frozen natural-gas equipment left over 4.5 million customers without power and wholesale prices hit the $9,000 /MWh cap. Now Amazon’s 7.65-GW GW Ranch gas plant and Trump-era support for on-site fossil generators revive the same quick-build, natural-gas strategy, raising fears of repeat volatility.

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Amazon Builds Gasplant

Amazon will finance and build the 7.65-GW GW Ranch gas plant in Texas.
Plant can emit up to 33 million tons CO2 annually, double the 16 million tons from an Alabama coal plant.
Construction began in July 2026, with power slated to start off-grid in Q1 2027.
Pacifico Energy will add up to 750 MW solar and 1.8 GW battery storage, mitigating emissions.
Amazon says the off-grid plant will keep Texas household electricity costs unchanged.

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