Amazon Data Center Plans in Texas Draw Scrutiny Amid New State Audit Order

Amazon is investing in a natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a large data center project in Texas, according to reporting from The New York Times. The company has made public climate commitments, and the report raises concerns that the plant could become one of the most polluting power sources in the United States, though the specific emissions data or capacity figures were not detailed in available reporting. Separately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to audit all data center projects seeking to connect to the state's power grid, as reported by The Texas Tribune. Under state law, the PUCT is required to share resulting data with the state's water development board and environmental regulators, and to report findings to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board. This order effectively freezes new data center grid-connection projects in Texas pending the audit. It remains unresolved whether the Amazon-linked power plant described by The New York Times is among the projects affected by Abbott's audit order, as the two reports do not explicitly connect the specific Amazon project to the statewide audit. The timeline for completing the audits, specific criteria being used to evaluate data centers, and the ultimate outcome for pending projects—including any tied to Amazon—have not been detailed in available reporting.