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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.”
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