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Amazon’s New AI Data Center Is So Enormous That It Appears It Will Become the Largest Single Source of Pollution in the United States
Yahoo News UK • • business
Key Points:
- Amazon Web Services plans to build a massive AI data center in Texas powered by a new gas-burning power plant capable of generating 7.65 gigawatts of energy, potentially becoming the largest single source of CO2 emissions in the U.S.
- The proposed power plant's 35 turbines could emit 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, rivaling the emissions of entire countries such as Switzerland, Ireland, and Bulgaria.
- This development contradicts Amazon’s stated goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, raising concerns about the company's commitment to its climate pledge.
- Amazon acknowledges the challenges but insists that growth and sustainability can coexist, emphasizing transparency and investment in innovation despite record increases in emissions and electricity usage.
- The company's recent disclosures reveal a 34 percent rise in electricity consumption in 2025, highlighting a trend of increasing emissions that conflicts with its previous environmental commitments.
