Amazon becomes largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the US

23rd June 2021

Amazon reaches 10 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity and advances its commitment to decarbonising its business operations and reaching net-zero carbon by 2040.

Amazon today announced 14 new renewable energy projects in the US, Canada, Finland, and Spain to advance its ambitious goal to power 100% of company activities with renewable energy by 2025—five years ahead of the original target of 2030. The new projects bring Amazon’s total renewable energy investments to date to 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity production capacity—enough to power 2.5mn US homes. Amazon is now the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the U.S. and the world.

The latest utility-scale solar and wind projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfilment centres, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres that support millions of customers globally. These projects will also help Amazon meet its commitment to producing enough renewable energy to cover the electricity used by all Echo devices in use. In addition, these new projects support hundreds of jobs while providing hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in local communities.

“We’re driving hard to fulfil The Climate Pledge—our commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Our investments in wind and solar energy in the U.S. and around the world send a signal that investing in green technologies is the right thing to do for the planet and citizens—as well as for the long-term success of businesses of all sizes across all industries everywhere.”

Global digital commerce is a game changer for SMBs and local economies. 
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Amazon will now have a total of 232 renewable energy projects globally, including 85 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 147 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide. The 14 new wind and solar projects in the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Spain include:

  • New projects across the US: The 11 U.S.-based projects announced today include Amazon’s first solar projects in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, and additional projects in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. In total, Amazon has enabled more than 6 GW of renewable energy in the U.S. through 54 projects.
  • Our largest renewable energy project in Canada: Amazon’s second renewable energy project in Alberta is a 375-megawatt (MW) solar farm—which is also the largest in the country. When it comes online in 2022, the solar farm will bring Amazon’s capacity in Canada to more than 1 million megawatt-hours (MWh), enough to power more than 100,000 Canadian homes.
  • Our first renewable energy project in Finland: Amazon’s first project in Finland is a 52-MW wind farm located near the country’s west coast. The project is expected to begin producing energy in 2022.
  • Additional investments in Spain: Amazon’s fifth solar project in Spain will generate 152 MW when it begins contributing power to the grid in 2023, bringing total capacity in the country to more than 520 MW.

To see Amazon’s renewable energy projects around the world, visit our interactive map.

“Amazon’s commitment to clean energy is highly commendable, and it is the type of investment that we need to see more of to meet the world’s critical energy and climate needs,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “It is becoming increasingly clear that corporations such as Amazon see solar and other renewable resources as the path forward to meet their energy and business needs, and we stand ready to support Amazon and other companies of all sizes in their decisions to go solar.”

“A new level of ambition across the private sector is necessary to accelerate decarbonisation of the power system. Amazon’s leadership in investing and adopting renewable energy around the world paves the way for new innovation, and the ability to scale at the pace needed to address the real threats to the planet, people, and businesses posed by climate change,” said Miranda Ballentine, CEO of Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA).

“With an impressive 10 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity now in its portfolio, and a path to reach its 100% renewable energy target five years ahead of schedule, Amazon continues to walk the walk when it comes to corporate clean energy leadership,” said Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE). “The renewable projects the company announced today will provide communities with good-paying jobs and the affordable, pollution-free power we need to combat the climate crisis.”

Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019, a commitment to reach the Paris Agreement 10 years early and be net-zero carbon by 2040. The Pledge now has 108 signatories, including IBM, Unilever, PepsiCo, Visa, Verizon, Siemens, Microsoft, and Best Buy. To reach its goal, Amazon will continue to reduce emissions across its operations by taking real business actions and establishing a path to power its operations with 100% renewable energy, five years ahead of the company’s original target of 2030; delivering its Shipment Zero vision to make all shipments net-zero carbon, with 50% net-zero carbon by 2030; purchasing 100,000 electric delivery vehicles, the largest order ever of electric delivery vehicles; and by investing $2 billion in the development of decarbonising services and solutions through the Climate Pledge Fund. For more information, visit https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/.

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About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.

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Amber Donovan-Stevens

Amber is a Content Editor at Top Business Tech

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