Amazon Plans Massive Texas Gas Plant for AI Data Center Despite Climate Pledge
Climate activists protest Amazon's fossil fuel expansion as the company builds what could be the largest U.S. gas power plant for AI infrastructure.
What to know
- Amazon is building a natural gas power plant in Texas for AI infrastructure, contradicting its 2019 commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
- The plant could become one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the U.S., highlighting the fossil fuel intensity of AI data center expansion.
- Amazon claims 100% renewable energy use but independent research from former employees found it is closer to 22%, exposing a significant credibility gap.
- Climate activists are protesting during UN Climate Week, linking AI expansion directly to fossil fuel dependence and climate chaos.
“Amazon signed a climate pledge in 2019, promising to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, but it's now building out a natural gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas that could become one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the United States.”
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! anchor · Democracy Now! ↗
Amazon Tech company building AI data centerKavita Sthanumurthy Former Amazon engineer, Amazon Employees for Climate JusticeBill McKibben Climate campaigner
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts
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AI boom driven largely by fossil fuels despite climate pledges
Climate advocates highlight that the artificial intelligence boom is being powered predominantly by dirty fossil fuels, even as major tech companies claim renewable energy commitments and net-zero pledges.
“the artificial intelligence boom is largely being powered by dirty fossil fuel…”
— Kavita Sthanumurthy -
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Kavita Sthanumurthy, a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, says the AI boom is largely being powered by dirty fossil fuels, even as companies like Amazon claim they use 100% renewable energy. “We did our own independent research and found that it was closer to 22%,” says Sthanumurthy.
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# Amazon Web Services partnership with # Palantir , and contracts with # ICE and Customs and Border Patrol; they are aiding this military # surveillance state. In 2021 they signed # ProjectNimbus with the Israeli government to surveil # Palestine lives. https://www. democracynow.org/2026/9/22/un_ climate_week # Ai # Capitalism # Climatecrisis #…
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Amazon's actual renewable energy use far lower than public claims
Kavita Sthanumurthy, a former Amazon software engineer and member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, disclosed that while Amazon claims 100% renewable energy use, independent research found the figure to be closer to 22%.
“We did our own independent research and found that it was closer to 22%.”
— Kavita Sthanumurthy -
1 outlet Climate Activists Target AI Data Centers & Amazon’s Plan to Build Largest U.S. Gas Power Plant
first by Mastodon, 1d ago
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Climate activists gather outside Amazon HQ to protest AI data center plans — During Climate Week in New York, community leaders fighting AI data centers gathered outside Amazon headquarters in Manhattan to protest the company's plans to build a natural gas-burning power plant in Texas as part of a huge data center expansion.
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Amazon signs climate pledge committing to net-zero by 2040 — Amazon made a public climate commitment promising to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.