Amazon has announced 14 new renewable energy projects in Canada, Finland, Spain, and the U.S.
The new projects bring Amazon’s total renewable energy investments to date to 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity production capacity. The company says this makes it the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world.
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.
Canada’s biggest solar farm
Amazon’s second renewable energy project in Alberta is a 375 MW solar farm that is also the largest in the country. When it comes online in 2022, it will bring Amazon’s capacity in Canada to more than 1 million megawatt hours (MWh), enough to power more than 100,000 Canadian homes.
“Amazon’s investment shows how Alberta’s energy sector remains an attractive investment target for companies from around the world,” said Sonya Savage, Alberta’s energy minister.
“Our focus on investor-friendly policies and our energy-only electricity market unlocks new potential for our province’s renewable energy sector. We look forward to the addition of this emissions-reducing project that adds to the wide range of energy sources which power homes and businesses in Alberta,”
The 11 U.S.-based projects announced today include Amazon’s first solar projects in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, and additional projects located 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.
The company’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.
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 MWs.
100% renewable by 2025
The latest utility-scale solar and wind projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfillment centres, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres. The company’s goal is to power 100% of company activities with renewable energy by 2025.
“We’re driving hard to fulfill The Climate Pledge – our commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, ten 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.”
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