alt Hacker NewsAmazon Is Creating the Biggest Pollution Source in the Country
Comments
Dupe of https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49220350
256 comments, 8 hours ago
Permitted maximum of 10 grams(2 nickels) of CO2 per hour for every person in the US. 33 million tons * 2000 ton/pound * 454 g/pound / 365 days in a year / 24 hours in a day / 342.6M people in us = 9.984 grams
At least these sites (its more than Amazon) are being built near the energy source they will consume. Straight out of the ground into a turbine and then into the electron spinners.
Also there's not a lot of anything where these sites are located (Near El Paso). The 4-5 Road Runners who live around there will probably appreciate the change.
West Texas is basically Mad Max 2.
It sounds... pretty good? It's not going to put pressure to the existing grid. Nor it will use freshwater. Near to the data centers themselves so the waste from power transmission is minimalized.
Don't these things get more efficient as they scale up? One big plant is probably better than 30 small ones.
Carbon tax would shift the economics in favor of renewables.
Alternatives exist but they aren't free...
https://www.aga.org/decarbonizing-through-carbon-capture/
https://www.energyindepth.org/study-finds-carbon-capture-and...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277265682...
TIL mentioning a viable technology that would reduce emissions here but delay a forced transition to renewables is an instant downvote.
Finally, a structure worthy of its namesake.
These jet engine gas turbines create air pollution in the forms of formaldehyde and NOx and noise pollution.
Someone’s gotta stop this who idk - that’s the problem
> That’s in sharp contrast to Amazon’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2040...
Liars
> 7.65 gigawatt gas power plant
This is another level of insanity, right there.
"Shareholder Value Pledge Arena"
This completely ignores carbon capture and offsets. Amazon remains committed to net zero.
Let's add as well "SpaceX’s Terafab will rely on natural gas power plants, not Tesla solar panels" to the mix :o(
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/07/spacexs-terafab-will-rely-...