Amazon has confirmed a 7.65GW natural gas power plant in Pecos County, Texas, built to run alongside a new hyperscale data centre campus known as GW Ranch. The 35-turbine installation would sit disconnected from the state grid and, on paper, would outstrip the output of the Grand Coulee Dam — currently the largest energy project in the United States by capacity.
A Behind-the-Meter Infrastructure Model
At least in its early phase, the GW Ranch campus would run independently of the Texas electricity grid — an approach known as behind-the-meter power generation. It's a model gaining rapid traction across the sector: nearly 60 similar off-grid gas projects, representing roughly 90GW of combined capacity, have been announced industry-wide since the start of the year.
The logic is straightforward. Hyperscale data centres need uninterrupted, round-the-clock power to keep AI and cloud workloads running, and dedicated on-site generation sidesteps the delays and constraints of grid interconnection. An Amazon spokesperson said the company aims to cover the full cost of its own power needs, with the new campus designed to shift onto the grid once interconnection timelines allow.
Data Centre Development Across Hyperscalers
Amazon isn't alone in pursuing dedicated power for AI infrastructure. Microsoft, Google and Meta have each backed fossil-fuel projects since 2025 to support their own cloud and AI expansion. Microsoft has already committed to a 2GW campus in Pecos powered by a 2.67GW plant, and Amazon is reportedly weighing a separate gas-fired project near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The scale of demand is striking: Texas's statewide peak electricity demand record sits at under a fifth of the new capacity that data centre operators are now requesting across the state. Reporting from The New York Times and climate research outlet Distilled indicates permit filings could authorise the plant to emit up to 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year — more than double the roughly 16 million tonnes produced annually by Alabama's coal-fired James H Miller Jr Power Plant, and potentially the single largest source of climate pollution in the country.
"It could be a foreshadowing of what's to come. We're going to see an explosion of off-grid gas projects."— MICHAEL THOMAS, FOUNDER & CEO, CLEANVIEW
Regulators and Local Groups Push Back
Texas regulators paused approval of new data centre projects this week, pending an audit of each facility's impact on the state's grid. Governor Greg Abbott framed the move simply: "Texans must come first."
Local opposition has intensified alongside the regulatory review. Kathryn Guerra, Campaign Director at watchdog group Public Citizen, warned of significant environmental and public health impacts. Luke Metzger, Executive Director of Environment Texas, argued that "bring-your-own-power" requests risk pushing data centres toward gas rather than the cleaner wind, solar and battery capacity increasingly available on the ERCOT grid — adding to both climate and local air pollution.
Water and Renewable Infrastructure Plans
Beyond power generation, the GW Ranch site includes plans for non-potable, brackish groundwater use rather than drinking-quality water, and Amazon says it is also exploring on-site solar and battery storage. The company points to a broader track record in the state, saying it has already enabled 10GW of carbon-free energy across 40 Texas projects.