AIBRIEF
The 7.65 GW Pecos County facility would be larger than any gas plant currently operating in the U.S., and is permitted for more emissions than any single source in the country.
Amazon has confirmed it is financing GW Ranch, a 7.65-gigawatt private gas-fired power plant in Pecos County, Texas, being developed by Pacifico Energy. The plant would run 35 turbines and, at 7.65 GW, would be larger than any gas plant currently operating in the United States.
The facility is permitted to emit more than 30 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year, a ceiling that, on paper, would make it the largest single permitted GHG source in the country, though facilities rarely operate at their permitted maximum.
Amazon frames the off-grid build as a way to keep AI data center costs off ordinary U.S. ratepayers' bills, according to the company. The decision reflects a broader pattern: hyperscalers are building their own generation because utility interconnection cannot keep pace with AI demand.
The disclosure was first surfaced by Cleanview, which used satellite imagery to link three of Amazon's newly filed data center permits to the GW Ranch project. A Texas filing confirms the development.
For context, a larger 9.2 GW gas facility is planned in Ohio under a public-private partnership involving SoftBank, a sign of how far behind-the-meter generation is scaling to feed AI buildout.