Texas approves largest air pollution permit in us history for massive gas plant and data center complex

Texas environmental regulators have granted the largest air pollution permit ever issued in the United States to a controversial energy project planned for the heart of America’s oil country. The massive industrial complex, called GW Ranch, will combine natural gas power plants with data centers in Pecos County, Texas, near the prolific Permian Basin oilfields.

Developed by Pacifico Energy, a global infrastructure investment company, the project boasts an enormous 7.65 gigawatt capacity that its developers claim will make it the “largest power project” in the country. To put this scale in perspective, the facility would generate enough electricity to power approximately 6 million homes, rivaling the output of several nuclear power plants combined.

The approval comes at a time when Texas is grappling with surging electricity demand driven largely by cryptocurrency mining operations, artificial intelligence data centers, and continued population growth. However, the project’s reliance on natural gas has drawn criticism from environmental advocates who argue that such massive fossil fuel infrastructure contradicts climate goals and will significantly increase regional air pollution.

Located in the Permian Basin—already one of the most polluted regions in Texas due to intensive oil and gas extraction—the GW Ranch project raises concerns about cumulative environmental impacts on local communities. The facility’s proximity to existing industrial operations could exacerbate air quality problems in an area that already struggles with elevated levels of ozone and other harmful pollutants from the energy sector.