The project, being developed by California-based Pacifico Energy Group, also has state permits for its campus to build 35 natural gas turbines that can generate up to 7.65 GW of its own power, with plans also for up to 750 MW of on-site solar and 1.8 GW of battery storage capacity. The developer, which says it will handle its own engineering, procurement and construction for the project, has not publicly announced an external third-party prime building contractor for the project, But architecture firm Gensler is listed as design firm for the buildings, estimated to cost $300 million each and scheduled for completion in December. 

Amazon also did not disclose a contractor for the buildings, and Gensler has not responded to ENR’s request for comment.

GW Ranch marks Amazon’s first investment in a private "behind-the-meter" data center campus. The company has not shared its planned total investment or ultimate buildout, but claims the facilities are designed around water-efficient cooling systems using non-potable sources. 

“The initial phase requires no water for power-generation cooling, and later phases are designed to rely primarily on brackish groundwater, which does not compete with the community drinking water supply,” an Amazon spokesperson said. In addition, “we’ll explore the beneficial use of produced water as an additional non-potable source.”

Complex Estimated at $12 Billion

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Neither Amazon nor Pacifico disclosed any project cost, but the developer estimated its needed investment at about $12 billion, in comments in February to Forbes. In announcing state permits in January, Pacifico CEO Nate Franking said: “We’re really excited to reach this precedent-setting milestone at GW Ranch. Demand for this intelligence will justify all the power projects underway now.” 

Amazon previously said it was investing a similar amount in multiple data center sites in Louisiana. Investment firm Black Rock also is leading investment efforts for at least $12 billion for a 1-GW data-center project in El Paso, Texas, for Meta Platforms, sources told The Wall Street Journal in a July 20 report. Black Rock and other investors would own 80% of the project, with Meta having a 20% stake.

Although Amazon maintains it has not backed off its 2019 commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, the GW Ranch gas plant could overshadow its claimed emissions-reduction accomplishments. Permitting documents cited by the Texas Observer specify an authorized release of more than 12,000 tons per year of regulated air pollutants, including soot, ammonia, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds.

The complex can also release up to 33 million tons per year of greenhouse gases, documents say, although no study appears to tie them to specific health outcomes for nearby residents.

Public information available does not reveal full details of Amazon’s power purchase agreement with Pacifico Energy, including contract length, pricing or exact electricity volumes. It also is unclear how frequently the gas turbines would operate and what actual annual emissions would be. 

If operated at full gigawatt capacity, it could burn between 1 and 2 billion cu ft of gas per day—equal to between 4 and 7% of all Permian Basin gas produced in 2025, says research by the Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy. 

Uncertainties Remain

While emissions tend to be less than permit limits, the facility would be allowed to produce more greenhouse gases than any other single U.S. source, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as cited in a March letter to Pacifico from three leading Senate Democrats seeking more detail about the project.

It’s also uncertain if or how the project would be affected by a statewide moratorium on new data center projects, announced Aug. 3 by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). Amazon is among major technology companies that have pledged to comply with the directive, which pauses projects pending audits by two state energy regulatory agencies to verify ownership, financial, water and community impacts. Data centers make up about 90% of the more than 474 GW of requests to connect to the Texas grid. The directive sets no deadline for completing the audits.

While the Amazon GW Ranch project initially will operate separately from the Texas grid, the company says the system is designed to transition to grid-connected service and potentially add supply “as interconnection timelines allow.”

The campus is located about 30 miles from an off-grid data center complex being developed by Chevron and Microsoft. Set to begin operation by 2028, it will have about 2.5 GW of natural gas power, with provisions to expand to 5 GW and add solar power and battery storage.