Amazon.com is planning to build a massive data center and an accompanying natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas. The power plant has been permitted to emit up to 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, a volume that exceeds any existing power generation facility in the United States, and upon completion, it is expected to become the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.

Driven by the enormous energy demands of artificial intelligence technology, major U.S. tech companies are increasingly pushing forward with large-scale natural gas power plant projects. As a result, Amazon.com's carbon emissions surged by 16% last year, directly contradicting its environmental pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

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Furthermore, the high energy consumption of data centers is raising concerns about potential increases in electricity costs for local residents, leading to growing political opposition to such projects. In response to external criticism, a spokesperson for Amazon.com issued a statement confirming that the data center will be powered by a new on-site power generation facility, emphasizing that this "will not increase electricity bills for Texas families."

When pressed on the company's divergence from its climate goals, the spokesperson stated, "The world today is very different from when we jointly launched the climate initiative," while reaffirming that Amazon.com's "commitment has not changed."