Texas Approves Largest Air Permit for GW Ranch AI Project

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted an air permit to Pacifico Energy for the development of GW Ranch in Pecos County, Texas. Described as the largest permitted data center campus in the United States, the project will span more than 8,000 acres and utilize a private grid. The facility will combine solar and battery storage with gas-fired power generation using small and large-scale turbines, totaling up to 7.65 GW.

The permit authorizes the release of 33 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. Pacifico Energy aims to begin delivering power in the first half of 2027 and plans to scale to over 5 GW to support AI and digital infrastructure. Company leadership stated that the approval clears a critical path for delivering power at a scale the market urgently needs without impacting local ratepayers or the regional electricity grid.

This project is part of a broader trend in Texas, where gas power capacity grew by nearly 58 GW in 2025 to fuel data centers. While developers cite the necessity of this scale for AI, Global Energy Monitor and other critics warn that such hyperscale facilities are becoming some of the world's largest emission sources.