# Amazon ties planned Texas AI campus to Pacifico’s 7.65GW gas project > Source: > Published: 2026-08-09 19:35:38.534574+00:00 # Amazon ties planned Texas AI campus to Pacifico’s 7.65GW gas project - Amazon has confirmed its involvement in a planned Pecos County data center tied to Pacifico Energy’s GW Ranch project. [[1]](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/amazons-new-7-65gw-texas-ai-data-center-power-plant-could-become-the-largest-source-of-co2-pollution-in-the-us-custom-35-turbine-gas-plant-authorized-to-emit-33-million-tons-of-annual-greenhouse-gases) - TCEQ documents identify Pacifico GW LLC as the permit applicant and describe 35 simple-cycle turbines with a nominal output of 5,000 megawatts. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) - The project’s permitted emissions include 33.16 million tons of carbon dioxide and 33.20 million tons of greenhouse gases measured as CO2-equivalent per year. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) - The site is designed to operate outside the ERCOT grid, making it a private-generation project rather than a conventional new grid load. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891)[[3]](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch) Amazon has confirmed its involvement in a planned artificial-intelligence data center campus in West Texas that would receive power from Pacifico Energy’s GW Ranch private-grid project, according to recent reporting. The project’s permits cover 35 natural-gas turbines and annual greenhouse-gas emissions of up to 33.2 million tons. [[1]](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/amazons-new-7-65gw-texas-ai-data-center-power-plant-could-become-the-largest-source-of-co2-pollution-in-the-us-custom-35-turbine-gas-plant-authorized-to-emit-33-million-tons-of-annual-greenhouse-gases)[[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) The permit does not establish that Amazon will operate a 7.65-gigawatt plant, nor that the full emissions allowance will be used. Texas regulators describe a proposed 5,000-megawatt simple-cycle plant, while Pacifico markets the broader GW Ranch development as capable of scaling to 7.65 gigawatts of generation. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891)[[3]](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch) ## Pacifico is the developer and permit holder The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lists Pacifico GW LLC as the applicant for the GW Ranch Energy Center, a greenfield site on Highway 18 roughly 17 miles north of Fort Stockton in Pecos County. The agency’s preliminary determination describes 35 simple-cycle natural-gas turbines, wet surface air coolers, auxiliary engines and related equipment. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) TCEQ says the proposed plant would supply an on-site AI data center and would not be capable of selling power to, or receiving power from, the local utility distribution system. That makes the project a behind-the-meter or private-grid development, not a conventional power station seeking a standard ERCOT interconnection. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) Pacifico’s project materials describe more than 8,000 acres, up to 7.65 gigawatts of dispatchable generation, 1.8 gigawatts of battery storage and as much as 750 megawatts of solar capacity. The company says the campus is designed to deliver more than 5 gigawatts to hyperscale data centers, with first power targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Those schedule and capacity figures are Pacifico’s plans, not independent forecasts. [[3]](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch) Amazon’s role is therefore different from Pacifico’s. Amazon is the reported data center customer or occupant tied to the site; Pacifico is the company identified in the state records as the developer and permit applicant. Publicly available materials reviewed for this audit do not disclose Amazon’s total investment, the final size of its campus or the commercial terms for purchasing GW Ranch power. [[1]](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/amazons-new-7-65gw-texas-ai-data-center-power-plant-could-become-the-largest-source-of-co2-pollution-in-the-us-custom-35-turbine-gas-plant-authorized-to-emit-33-million-tons-of-annual-greenhouse-gases)[[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) ## The emissions number is a ceiling The TCEQ document lists allowable annual emissions of 33,162,721 tons of carbon dioxide. It also lists 655.41 tons of methane, 62.75 tons of nitrous oxide and 0.31 tons of sulfur hexafluoride. Using the agency’s stated global-warming potentials, the total comes to 33,204,964 tons of CO2-equivalent per year. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) The same permit analysis lists 2,830 tons of nitrogen oxides, 5,955 tons of carbon monoxide, 998.9 tons of particulate matter and 1,924.9 tons of ammonia annually. These are permitted maximums. They are not measurements from an operating facility and do not prove that the plant will run continuously at its maximum output. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) The permit’s project description gives the plant a nominal output of 5,000 megawatts, while Pacifico’s public materials refer to an air permit for up to 7.65 gigawatts and a staged campus buildout. The apparent difference reflects the distinction between the initial plant described in the regulatory document and the larger generation envelope marketed by the developer. It should not be reported as though 7.65 gigawatts will be online at once. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891)[[3]](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch) TCEQ’s records show that the agency issued a new permit, a Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit and a greenhouse-gas PSD permit for Pacifico GW LLC on January 21, 2026. The preliminary determination says the project triggered PSD review for several conventional pollutants and for greenhouse gases measured as CO2-equivalent. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891)[[4]](https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/permitting/air/NewSourceReview/Agendas/nsredYY_2026.htm) ## The largest-polluter comparison needs qualification Recent coverage has described the 33.2-million-ton permit ceiling as potentially larger than the annual emissions of any existing U.S. power plant. That is a comparison between a planned facility’s maximum allowable emissions and historical operating data from existing plants; it is not evidence that GW Ranch will become the country’s largest actual emitter. [[1]](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/amazons-new-7-65gw-texas-ai-data-center-power-plant-could-become-the-largest-source-of-co2-pollution-in-the-us-custom-35-turbine-gas-plant-authorized-to-emit-33-million-tons-of-annual-greenhouse-gases)[[7]](https://www.epa.gov/egrid) The Environmental Protection Agency’s eGRID and Power Sector Data systems provide plant-level and annual emissions data for existing grid-connected generators. A definitive ranking should use the relevant EPA vintage and a consistent metric—CO2 versus CO2-equivalent, actual emissions versus permitted emissions—before the superlative is published as fact. [[7]](https://www.epa.gov/egrid) The project would still have a substantial local pollution profile even if its gas turbines operate below the permit ceiling. TCEQ’s document covers nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, carbon monoxide and other pollutants in addition to greenhouse gases. [[2]](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) ## Climate, grid and local questions Amazon has pledged net-zero carbon emissions across its business by 2040. The company’s sustainability reporting also describes continued investment in renewable energy, data center efficiency and water-reuse programs. A dedicated gas-fired power source for an AI campus creates a direct tension with that pledge, although renewable-energy purchases elsewhere do not by themselves determine the emissions from this particular project. [[1]](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/amazons-new-7-65gw-texas-ai-data-center-power-plant-could-become-the-largest-source-of-co2-pollution-in-the-us-custom-35-turbine-gas-plant-authorized-to-emit-33-million-tons-of-annual-greenhouse-gases)[[5]](https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2025-amazon-sustainability-report.pdf) Pacifico says the private-grid design will avoid ERCOT interconnection delays and will not raise electricity costs for Texans. ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas have separately been developing procedures for connecting large electricity users as data center demand grows. The off-grid structure may reduce the project’s direct demands on the public transmission system, but it does not eliminate its fuel use or local air emissions. [[3]](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch)[[6]](https://www.ercot.com/news/release/06182026-puct-approves-ercots) Pacifico says the project has local support, economic-development benefits and limited reliance on external water supplies. Residents and environmental advocates have also raised concerns: Inside Climate News reported that a local group sought a hearing over the permitted air pollutants and criticized the speed of the TCEQ process. [[3]](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch)[[8]](https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29012026/developer-calls-gw-ranch-in-pecos-county-texas-the-largest-power-project-in-u-s/) Before publication, editors should obtain direct comment from Amazon on its ownership or lease arrangement, financing, power-purchase agreement, construction schedule and expected operating profile. They should also confirm whether the 7.65-gigawatt figure refers to the full permitted generation envelope, the planned campus, or both. ## Companies mentioned ## Further sources [[1] Tom’s Hardware reported on August 9, 2026, citing New York Times reporting, tha… ↗](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/amazons-new-7-65gw-texas-ai-data-center-power-plant-could-become-the-largest-source-of-co2-pollution-in-the-us-custom-35-turbine-gas-plant-authorized-to-emit-33-million-tons-of-annual-greenhouse-gases) [[2] Texas Commission on Environmental Quality preliminary determination for Pacific… ↗](https://records.tceq.texas.gov/cs/idcplg?IdcService=TCEQ_APD_SEARCH_GET_FILE&SearchID=15228583&searchType=External&xAPDParent=8069891) [[3] Pacifico Energy’s GW Ranch project page, including its planned private-grid mod… ↗](https://www.pacificoenergy.com/gw-ranch) [[4] TCEQ’s 2026 New Source Review agenda listing Pacifico GW LLC’s new, PSD and GHG… ↗](https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/permitting/air/NewSourceReview/Agendas/nsredYY_2026.htm) [[5] Amazon’s 2025 sustainability report, including its climate, energy, data center… ↗](https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2025-amazon-sustainability-report.pdf) [[6] ERCOT announcement on the Public Utility Commission of Texas’ approval of a pro… ↗](https://www.ercot.com/news/release/06182026-puct-approves-ercots)+2 more The stories that matter, in one email. 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