Google-Funded Texas Data Center Will Be Powered by Natural Gas Plant Emitting 4.5M Tons Annually
A new data center campus in Texas, built with investments from Google, will include an on-site natural gas power plant that emits more than 4.5 million tons of greenhouse gases per year — more than an average coal plant.
The Goodnight Campus
The Goodnight data center campus in Armstrong County, Texas is being constructed by AI infrastructure company Crusoe Energy:
- Six buildings total: First four connected to the electric grid, buildings five and six powered by the on-site gas plant
- 900+ MW natural gas capacity plus 265 MW of wind power
- 4.5 million tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions from the gas turbines alone
- Emissions equivalent of adding 970,000+ gas-powered cars to the road
The Context
In May 2025, Crusoe began construction. In November, Google announced a $40 billion AI investment in Texas, joining Crusoe to help build the already-under-construction campus.
Google's Climate Paradox
Google has publicly committed to renewable energy and is often cited by environmental groups as an example of Big Tech doing things right. However:
- The company's spokesperson said Google does not have a "contract in place" for gas power at this facility
- Google does have an "agreement" for the 265 MW of wind energy included in the campus
- The fact that Google is exploring private, off-the-grid gas power "suggests that something is changing"
"Google's focus on and continued commitment to renewables is often held up by environmental groups as an example of Big Tech doing things right. But the plans for this campus illustrate how even big tech companies with stated climate goals are exploring fossil fuel investments as the AI race heats up." — Michael Thomas, Cleanview
Industry Trend
The Goodnight campus isn't the biggest fossil fuel project planned for data centers, but it represents an increasingly common pattern: as AI computing demands skyrocket, tech companies are turning to fossil fuels to ensure reliable, large-scale power supply despite their public climate commitments.
The tension between AI ambitions and climate goals is becoming one of the defining challenges of the technology industry's next decade.