AIBRIEF
A Pecos County, Texas, plant permitted for 33 million tons of CO2 a year tests Amazon's 2040 net zero pledge after a 16% emissions rise.
A planned Amazon data center in Pecos County, Texas, is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide a year from an on-site natural gas power plant, more than any other U.S. power plant, according to a New York Times report cited by TechCrunch.
On the same balance sheet, Amazon reported its carbon emissions rose 16% last year, the wrong direction for a company that has signed a 2040 net-zero pledge. An Amazon spokesperson told the Times the data center will "be powered by new on-site generation that won't raise electricity costs for Texas families," and added: "The world looks different now than when we co-founded the climate pledge. Our commitment hasn't changed."
33 million permitted tons, a 16% annual rise, and a pledge the company says is still intact. What would have to change for both sides to be true is the next test, and it shows up first in Amazon's next emissions report, its next pledge update, and the Texas permit record.