Amazon has announced 26 new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects totaling 3.4GW of electricity production capacity, bringing its total investment in renewable energy in 2020 to 35 projects and more than 4GW of capacity. The projects will make Amazon the largest-ever corporate buyer of renewable energy.
The multinational technology giant has now invested in 6.5GW of wind and solar projects that will enable the company to supply its operations with more than 18,000,000MWh of renewable energy annually. These projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfillment centers and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers. The company has a goal to be net-zero carbon emissions across its business by 2040 and as part of that commitment it aims to have its infrastructure with 100% renewable energy by 2030.
“Amazon is helping fight climate change by moving quickly to power our businesses with renewable energy,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “With a total of 127 solar and wind projects, Amazon is now the biggest corporate buyer of renewable energy ever. We are on a path to running 100% of our business on renewable energy by 2025 – five years ahead of our original target of 2030. This is just one of the many steps we’re taking that will help us meet our Climate Pledge. I couldn’t be prouder of all the teams across Amazon that continue to work hard, smart, and fast to get these projects up and running.”
The 26 new wind and solar projects are located in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. They are also Amazon’s first in France, Germany, Italy, and South Africa. The company notes it now has a total of 127 renewable energy projects globally, including 59 utility-scale wind and solar renewable energy projects and 68 solar rooftops on fulfillment centers and sort centers around the globe.
“Private sector investment is essential to scaling renewable energy at the pace necessary to drive global climate action,” said Miranda Ballentine, CEO of Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA). “The US-based projects alone make Amazon’s announcement 270% larger than the largest corporate procurement announcement from a single off-taker to date, and showcase the company’s leadership and commitment to a clean and prosperous energy future.”