Amazon Lands 8,000-Acre Texas Site for Massive Natural Gas-Powered Data Center

Amazon has acquired an 8,000-acre plot of land in Pecos County, Texas, to develop a massive behind-the-meter data center powered by natural gas. The site, known as GW Ranch, was previously owned by Pacifico Energy and features plans for a 7.65GW power plant with 35 turbines.

The new data center is expected to be one of the largest in the US, generating up to 7.65GW of power capacity. Amazon has confirmed that it will use on-site generation to power its operations, which won't raise electricity costs for local families. The company also plans to transition to grid-connected service as interconnection timelines allow.

Air permits obtained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality show that the gas plant would combine natural gas generation with 1.8GW of battery storage and 750MW of solar power, creating a standalone energy platform. Amazon's acquisition follows a growing trend among hyperscalers to use natural gas as a means to power their large-scale AI data center developments.