As part of a planned data center in Pecos County, Texas, Amazon is investing in an on-site power plant that could become the largest source of climate pollution in the United States, according to The New York Times.

The NYT says the plant would burn natural gas and is permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year — more than any other power plant in the U.S.

In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the data center will “be powered by new on-site generation that won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families.” (Data centers face growing political opposition for a number of reasons, including their effect on electricity costs.)

AI has already had a significant impact on Amazon’s carbon emissions, which it reported were up 16% last year — the wrong direction for a company that pledged to eliminate its carbon emissions by 2040. And that could get worse as Amazon and tech companies back the development of huge natural gas plants to support their power-hungry data centers.

The Amazon spokesperson said, “The world looks different now than when we co-founded the climate pledge,” while also claiming, “Our commitment hasn’t changed.”

The lawmaker representing Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency of Delta State at the House of Representatives, Benedict Etanabene, has said many politicians are focused on impressing President Bola Tinubu than serving Nigerians.

Etanabene, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made the claim on Saturday during an interview on Arise Television.

His remark stemmed from what he described as the rushed passage of the State Police Bill.

“Many politicians are more focused on impressing president Tinubu than serving citizens. They want to be praised by their leaders.

“When people gather, they want to be able to say, look at what I did to that person. Whether what they did was right or wrong is not their concern. What matters is getting the approval and praise of their leaders.

“Many opposition party members would have even voted for the executive version of the State Police Bill. But even at that stage, what we were concerned about is: can we debate clause by clause? Because as opposition party member, we had the document.

“Don’t forget that this bill was passed some months back, and by the Wednesday of that week, we came and receded it. The life of that one that we have been discussing before came to an end, and one was introduced by the executive that Wednesday, and by Thursday we have been told that we needed to pass it.

“Some of us didn’t sleep that night because we went clause by clause looking at it and trying to rush it, but that’s not how it is supposed to be. We’re just trying to see how we can meet up with the pattern,” he said.