Tag: amazon

Amazon boasts renewable energy portfolio that can power 6.7 million homes in the US

Header image courtesy of Amazon

Amazon has presented its latest sustainability scorecard, and the numbers are impressive. The online retail giant boasts renewable energy projects that can power 6.7 million US homes.

The company has invested in 78 new renewable energy projects this year alone, comprising solar and wind, in 26 countries and 21 states in the US. These include its first such project in South Korea.

In total, Amazon has 479 wind and solar projects globally, which can produce more than 71,900 GWh per annum. The American company has directly and indirectly contributed $12 billion in investment in the global economy since 2014 through renewable energy. It generated 39,000 full-time equivalent jobs last year alone.

Amazon aims to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2025. It is converting a coal mine site from a brownfield to a solar farm in Maryland, US, and has announced a wind energy project in South Korea that will create about 2,400 jobs during construction.

“Amazon’s investments in solar and wind projects are helping power our operations, while also providing new sources of clean energy to the grid, spurring economic growth, and supporting jobs in the communities where our customers live and work,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS. “More than 90% of our operations were powered by renewables last year, but we’re not done. We’re focused on continuing to find innovative ways to bring new projects online, address grid constraints, and work with policymakers to mitigate the impacts of climate change, all of which is helping Amazon move closer to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2025.”

Mississippi gets first utility-scale wind farm courtesy of Amazon, AES

Header image courtesy of MaxyM, Shutterstock

The state of Mississippi in the US is getting its first utility-scale wind farm, a result of a partnership between online retail giant Amazon and AES, as reported by The Clarksdale Press Register.

The farm, to be located in Tunica, will have 41 wind turbines on a 14,000-acre site used for agriculture. Interestingly, the farmers will continue to farm rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat as the winds from the Mississippi Delta power the wind turbines.

AES is the developer and owner/operator and has highlighted how the landowners have diversified their income with the land retained in the family.

The Tunica wind farm will produce 184.5 MW of energy and lots of agricultural produce. The electric output will power about 80,000 Mississippi homes annually. The project will generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue for the county and school district, along with many employment opportunities.

AES’ partner, Amazon, has been expanding its renewable energy footprints globally with more than 400 projects like this. Charley Daitch, director of Energy and Water Strategy at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said, “Amazon is on a path to powering our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, and we want to ensure the local communities where our customers live and work are also benefiting from the solar and wind projects that we support. These energy projects are helping provide clean energy to local grids, create jobs, support local businesses and farmers, and boost the rural tax base in the southeast, which are all part of Amazon’s commitment to become a more sustainable company.”