Amazon's artificial intelligence ambitions are about to get a significant boost from a natural gas-burning power plant in Texas, which could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the US. These gas plants contribute harmful pollutants that accelerate climate change and can harm public health, leading to conditions like asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, and strokes.

Since Elon Musk's xAI began relying on gas turbines for its AI data center last spring, there has been a public backlash against off-the-grid power centers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Mississippi sued to get Musk’s gas turbines turned off, but the Trump administration backed the company and argued that citizens have no power to enforce the Clean Air Act.

Other AI giants are increasingly investing in ways to avoid permitting discussions and supplying their own power. This trend has led to a series of projects swiftly securing approvals, suggesting that resistance against gas-burning plants may be futile. Amazon’s Texas project is reportedly its first big investment in an off-the-grid data center, joining Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Oracle.

The outcome of the xAI lawsuit could devastate momentum for communities hoping to fight more transparency on such projects. Dozens of firms have begun sourcing their own power supplies, but the Texas project may set a precedent that is difficult to overturn.